Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is interested in nothing beyond war and territorial gains, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Putin consults more with Tsar Peter and Empress Catherine regarding territorial conquests than with any living person, he added, as per UNIAN.
The Ukrainian president made these remarks during a speech at the Munich Security Conference 2026 on 14 February.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is doing everything possible to stop the war and guarantee security.
“But the problem is that Putin is not interested in anything else. He does not live like ordinary people,” he said.
Life outside power: Putin does not live like ordinary people
He claimed that Putin does not walk the streets, cannot be seen in cafes, and his grandchildren do not attend ordinary kindergartens in their hometown.
“He cannot imagine life without power or after power. Normal things do not interest him,” the Ukrainian president said.
At the same time, Zelenskyy noted that the Russian president is more concerned with territorial conquests.
Security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe are the only protection
“Putin consults more with Tsar Peter and Empress Catherine on territorial gains than with any living person regarding real, normal life,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president added that Putin’s attention is currently focused on Ukraine, and no Ukrainian believes he will ever leave the Ukrainian people in peace.
“But he will not let go of other European countries either, because he cannot let go of the very idea of war. He may see himself as a tsar, but in reality, he is a slave to war,” Zelenskyy stated.
According to the Ukrainian leader, if Putin lives another ten years, which is possible, he could return to war to expand his conquests.
“That is why we say Ukraine must have real security guarantees, and Europe must have strong security guarantees. And we clearly know what these security guarantees must include,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
Previously, Ukraine had security assurances under the Budapest Memorandum, which were provided in exchange for giving up a large nuclear arsenal and included guarantees from the US, the UK, and Russia.
However, these assurances failed to prevent the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, which marked the beginning of the war against Ukraine.
