Thread by @ZelenskyyUa

Putin doesnʼt believe in Europe, America, the West. So he wages war. He believes in China, Iran, North Korea, seeks strategic treaties there. He bets money will corrupt everyone and buy indulgence. His plan: try to buy indulgence and continue the war. Question is: whoʼs buying?

When the envoy of President Trump is in Kyiv, there are no massive Russian air strikes. This doesnʼt work with representatives of other states or international organizations, even the UN, OSCE or IMF. Perhaps it would work with a representative of China, but it seems China is not interested in stopping – even if not the whole war – at least the strikes.

China has called for a ceasefire in this war. But Putin ignored it. That didn’t stop Beijing from hosting him with open arms and talking about what matters most – longevity. Russia also ignored India’s calls to end the war and its statements that our era is not the era of war. This applies to everyone else in the world.

Every day confronts all of us with the questions. Sometimes unpleasant, uncomfortable, to which, it seems, many in the world are not really going to give a true answer. It is from such questions about the details that the main question of today is formed – how to end the war.

Look at the Russian drone attack on Poland. It was deliberate. Nineteen Russian drones against Poland from the territory of two states – Ukraine and Belarus – during Russian military exercises in Belarus. NATO scrambled jets. And yet, no consequences for Russia.

A day before the drone strike on Poland, Russia killed 25 people in Yarova, Donetsk region – elderly citizens who came to collect their pensions, the very people Moscow claims to be “saving.” Russia leaves nothing in Donbas but graves and ruins. We are striking back. The question is: what are the others doing?

Russian flags fly at the Venice Film Festival. Because art is supposedly beyond politics. Art is for the living at festivals, not for the dead in Ukrainian cities after another Russian strike. How can Russia be rewarded for war by being welcomed back into the world as if nothing happened?

Putin’s goal is occupation of all Ukraine. Swapping territories or restoring business with him, as some may think, will not end the war. Russia’s war machine will stop only when it runs out of fuel. Putin will stop only when he feels his resources truly running out.

Russia must believe the West will not allow war to continue. Persuading Russia alone won’t work. Strong pressure is needed, so that instead of aiming to occupy Ukraine or any other country, Putin’s goal becomes preserving his economy, his system, preserving what he has lived for all these years.

We offer our partners a way to force Russia to stop its aerial terror: secure the skies together. Protect Ukraine and our neighbors - Poland, Romania - from Russian threats in the sky. With U.S. systems and aircraft, integrated with Europe, we can strip Putin’s war of meaning, and force it to end.

We must find a way to influence China to use its leverage on Russia for peace. Moscow has already tied itself to Beijing as a raw material supplier and political dependent. The question is: how to motivate China to take a path without war. This depends on the strength of America, Europe, the G7.

One key issue is the isolation of Russia – it must be preserved. Sanctions, tariffs, and confiscation of Russian assets all serve this purpose. Principles must prevail in politics, culture, and sports alike. Putin’s bet that money can buy everything and everyone must fail. I thank all those who are helping us to achieve this, who support our defense. Peace can be achieved only if we respond strongly to every question the war poses. Together, to make Putin change his goals.