Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a bold and harsh statement about Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he believes the 69-year-old leader “will die soon.” Speaking during a session with journalists, including the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, Zelenskyy shared his thoughts on what Putin fears most and the nature of his leadership.
Zelenskyy said, “Putin is afraid of his society, the destabilization of his society. The second thing is to lose his power. But it also depends on his age. He will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to an end. And it could come to an end, even before he ends his absolutely safe and losing — historically losing — life.”
Zelenskyy also criticized Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine. On social media, he highlighted that 117 strike drones had been launched overnight, most of them Iranian-made Shahed drones. He said this is more proof that Russia has no interest in ending the war.
“These strikes hit places like Kryvyi Rih – my hometown – and other regions including Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “Last night, there were another 117 proofs in our skies of how Russia continues to drag out this war.”
He emphasized that many of the drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses but stressed that the attacks are a clear message from Moscow that it isn’t looking for peace.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump gave his own view, suggesting that Russia might be hesitant to end the conflict. Comparing it to business negotiations, Trump said: “I think Russia wants to see an end to it. But it could be they’re dragging their feet. I’ve done it over the years. You know, I don’t want to sign a contract, I want to sort of stay in the game but maybe I don’t want to do it quite, I’m not sure.”
Despite recent talks and a temporary Black Sea ceasefire, Zelenskyy remains deeply skeptical about Russia’s intentions.
