Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in peace negotiations in any form, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, warning European and NATO countries that Moscow’s ambitions extend well beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels Friday, Oct. 16, Zelensky dismissed the Kremlin’s portrayal of its strikes on Ukraine as merely retaliatory, describing it as a “parody” of a genuine willingness to see the war end.
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“Putin wants to destroy us. He does not respect us, our sovereignty or our territorial integrity. He truly believes that we are not a country, not a nation,” Zelensky said.
“Do you really believe that the eastern part of our country is enough for him [Putin]? Then why, when the full-scale invasion began, did he go for Kyiv? Is that Donbas? No, it is the capital. Without the capital, there is no state,” he continued.
The war could spill beyond Ukraine’s borders
In recent months, Russia’s escalating hybrid campaign – from espionage, cyber attacks and drone incursions – has increased to the point that several EU members are saying that the continent is already at war with the Kremlin.
Russian diplomats have made serious threats to the Baltic states in particular, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that European preparations for a possible war with Russia could provoke one.
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Russian forces also struck Dnipro and three communities in the Synelnykove district, damaging civilian infrastructure and sparking a fire.
“This position could turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Lavrov said during the 81st United General Nations Assembly (UNGA) in New York late September, where 51 countries have separately signed a joint letter urging Moscow to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
So, it does not come as a surprise that Zelensky also questioned where Russia would stop should it achieve the military objective it set in Ukraine.
He pointed to the growing number of Russian drones crossing into European and NATO airspace, accusing European governments of avoiding responding forcefully to individual incursions out of fear of escalation.
In his view, the countries will practically be forced to take the threat seriously once Russia begins using ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside drones to violate NATO’s airspace, as it already does in Ukraine.
His warning came a day after Romania said Russian drones had entered its airspace three times in less than 24 hours, as attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea killed eight people.
Diesel deal could open the door to wider sanctions relief
Zelensky criticized US President Donald Trump’s diesel agreement on Oct. 9 with Moscow that allowed imports of Russian diesel to enter the global markets. Shortly after, the US Treasury Department authorized the import of Russian diesel through April 7, 2027.
He warned that the deal could set a precedent for further concessions, predicting that gas deals would follow, gradually extending sanctions relief to Russia’s banking system, chemical industry and sanctioned individuals.
Ukraine had no choice but to oppose such steps diplomatically, since no one else would defend Kyiv’s interests, Zelensky said.
Trump’s move came while Ukraine’s negotiating delegation was holding talks with Trump’s administration in Miami, hoping to reach a breakthrough and end Russia’s aggression.
Only three weeks earlier, on Sept. 18, Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law. His latest decisions appeared to completely disregard the bill intended to target Russia’s military-industrial complex, as well as networks close to Putin himself.
A bipartisan group of 12 US senators signed a joint letter on Oct. 13, urging Trump to rescind his diesel agreement with Putin, calling it a gift to Moscow and a betrayal of Ukraine.
Starlink speed still not fully restored, Zelensky said
Addressing recent restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink terminals, Zelensky said the service had not been switched off but slowed, preventing Ukrainian forces from shooting down a number of Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones that target civilians.
He rejected claims that Ukraine uses Starlink for attacks inside Russia. Instead, he said, the system supports interceptor drones, mid-range strikes on Russian military targets in occupied Ukrainian territory, and drone deliveries of food and water to soldiers who spend weeks or months on the front line. All three were disrupted while the restrictions were in place.
According to Zelensky, speeds are now recovering but have not returned to previous levels.
The restrictions took effect overnight on Oct. 13-14 after the US aerospace giant’s CEO Elon Musk tweaked parameters and limited terminals above 160 kilometers per hour (roughly 100 miles per hour) without prior warning.
Musk claimed that speed limits on Ukraine’s military Starshield terminals are set by the US military, including Trump himself, not the company.
Washington has not taken responsibility for the restrictions.
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