Putin is a dragon that will never satiate his hunger, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared in the German magazine. He notes that the support from the Europeans is in their own interest.
“Putin is a dragon that needs to be eaten. To satisfy his hunger, you give him one country after another, or at least pieces of them,” says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine and expresses the belief that, if Russia wins this war, “he will do the same elsewhere.” He repeatedly emphasizes that supporting Ukraine’s struggle is in the Europeans’ own interests, while describing Kiev’s relationship with Berlin as “one up, one down.”
“Putin’s power is based on victories and conquests (…) You cannot stop him, because he is a dragon that must be eaten. To satisfy his appetite, you give him one country after another, or at least pieces of them (…) But in today’s world, neither borders nor oceans will stop the Russians. I am absolutely sure of that,” says Mr. Zelensky, blaming the Russian side for the escalation of the conflict. “They have tortured, murdered and buried people alive. I knew from books that there was this kind of atrocity, mass murder. But I couldn’t imagine that happening again in today’s world. If Putin wins this war, he will do the same elsewhere,” he emphasizes. “Deliveries of heavy tanks only mean that we are all united against Russian aggression. And tomorrow it won’t be tanks, it will be planes or something else. Once the Russians reach your borders, you will have to sacrifice the lives of your people. Therefore, what Ukraine is doing today is more favorable for your countries,” the Ukrainian president continues.
Volodymyr Zelensky also mentions that shortly before the start of the war he was already asking the West for weapons and the imposition of preventive sanctions against Russia. “If everyone knew Putin was going to invade our country, why didn’t they impose sanctions? It is absolutely ridiculous when you all publicly defend us but still want to avoid sanctions or carry guns. I see it as dirty politics: you know that Russia is historically losing this war, but you still refuse to help Ukraine in case – with a 1% chance – Russia wins. Because then you can say to Putin: Do you remember? I slowed down a bit then!” And that’s exactly what I don’t like in politics: talking about values and then belittling them with your actions,” he says.
Regarding his relationship with Germany, the Ukrainian president speaks of a situation that flows “in waves, one up, one down”. “In the beginning,” he explains, “it was very difficult, the temperaments are quite different. I’m naturally a fast person. Others are slower, which may also be due to their bureaucracy. We have no time to waste. During war there are no 60 seconds in a minute. Every second represents a man’s life, his destiny. We don’t have weeks or months.” But suddenly, as he says, “this conservative attitude changed and I received support from the chancellor, I can confirm that (…) We have changed our relations and our understanding. We got Iris-T anti-aircraft systems, for which I am very grateful to Germany. They saved many lives.” The president of Ukraine also admits that his country’s secret services closely monitor Germany and are well aware of its capabilities to provide weapons systems. “I told the chancellor: Olaf, listen, we’re running out of missiles. I know you have no others, we also have an intelligence service. I know you give us everything you got. And I don’t know how, but it actually managed to make them faster. That was positive. Except now we’re back in trouble with this German tank debate, it’s emotional and complicated. I have to push for help to Ukraine and constantly convince him that this help is not for us, but for the Europeans,” Mr. Zelensky points out.
In an excerpt provided for pre-publication by Der Spiegel, the Ukrainian-to-German translation was “I have to force him” (n. Olaf Scholz). But after backlash on social networking sites, the magazine released a new version of the text, acknowledging a “translation error”.
Moreover, in the interview he gave at the same time to the French Figaro, Volodymyr Zelensky clearly praises the German chancellor, while there is only the reference: “My job is to convince the Western countries to help us. Because it’s not just about us. Europeans must understand that by helping us, they are helping themselves. I say this to all the heads of state who want us to end the war quickly because they fear it will reach their soil.”
Asked if he is under pressure from abroad to sign a ceasefire quickly, even if it means giving up Crimea and other territorial concessions, the Ukrainian president expressed sympathy for anyone who fears war or danger arriving at his door. “Citizens and their leaders see a potential threat to the stability of their countries, including their political power. So they want to stop the war – and this is best done at the expense of others (…) The easiest way to end the war is to cede territory to Russia”, he emphasizes and explains that at the beginning of the war many wanted to end the conflicts very quickly , but “within a few weeks, this view changed, thanks to our actions on the one hand, and thanks to what Putin and his army did: Butsa, Mariupol…”, he says characteristically. “Heads of state must understand: yes, the war must end. But you can no longer step into two boats,” he adds.
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