Ukraine’s Zelensky says he believes Putin has started World War III

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by dpaFebruary 23, 2026 at 08:09 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has started World War III. In an interview with BBC, Zelensky expressed his differing view on the conflict compared to US President Donald Trump. He believes Putin's actions have already led to a global conflict and Ukraine is preventing it from escalating into a full-scale war. Zelensky attributes Russia's intentions to impose a different way of life on the world, which he sees as a threat. He also emphasized the need for reliable security guarantees from the US that are not dependent on individual presidents, citing the importance of institutional stability. The comments were made ahead of the fourth anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kyiv 30% BBC ×230% Donald Trump ×250% United States ×250% Russia ×260% Ukraine ×270% World War III ×470% Vladimir Putin ×380% Volodymyr Zelensky ×490%

Keywords

world war iii 100% russia-ukraine conflict 80% vladimir putin 70% volodymyr zelensky 70% security guarantees 60% us president 50% international relations 40% political institutions 40%