Having wrested thousands of miles of territory back from Russia since late August, Ukrainian soldiers are trying to extend their counteroffensive and recapture more occupied land.
But they face the prospect of a Russian force that will soon be buttressed by tens of thousands of newly called-up Russian soldiers and a Kremlin intent on shifting the balance of power in the war.
Ukraine has been calling on the United States and other Western countries to send tanks, longer-range missiles and other critical weaponry in response to Moscow’s dramatic threats of escalation.
So far, the United States and Germany — the two countries on which Kyiv has focused its request for tanks — have not agreed to provide them
Zelensky’s comments Tuesday amounted to a warning for Western leaders not to delay and miss the chance to head off Russia’s escalation.
“The ability to prevent is a good feature in leadership,” Zelensky said. “You know about safety belts you have to use in a vehicle, just to avoid any dire consequences of an accident. We are not waiting for an accident to make sure we do need those safety belts, because we do trust in previous experience with previous accidents.”
Zelensky, who spoke from Kyiv, accused Russia of carrying out “nuclear blackmail” and said the world must guarantee that a nuclear strike does not happen, rather than waiting to respond to a cataclysmic attack.
“Prevention is the basis for lasting peace — a measure to cut short any aggression, a measure to save many more lives than by reacting to something that already happened, and it will ensure a lasting peace,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky underscored the importance of leadership if Ukraine is to have any chance of outmuscling Russia on the battlefield despite having a far smaller military.
“You can have a smaller army — because we are smaller than the Russian army — but your army has to be highly motivated,” Zelensky said. “You have to be followed by people who are able to watch your back, but your key weapon is people, and for people, the key armament is courage. They say courage loves leaders.”
The Ukrainian president obliquely compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to a killer who must be put behind bars.
“A killer is normally put behind bars in isolation after a court session,” Zelensky said. “It is not just about looking and finding punishment. It is also about preventing new killing from happening, which might happen if the killer remains at large.”
Zelensky said seizing the initiative, rather than responding in a reactive way, is critical to ensuring a Ukrainian victory. “The question is: When will it happen?” he said. “The answer is whenever we are able to act first.”
Read More: Zelensky urges Western nations to act before Russia surges troops
