Zelenskyy: Putin wants all of Ukraine, not just occupied territories

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Vladimir Putin's objective in the war is not limited to capturing parts of Ukrainian territory, arguing that Russia ultimately seeks control of the entire country.

Speaking to CBC News this week, Zelenskyy criticised “a mistaken view” among some of Ukraine's partners that Putin is seeking only a specific part of Ukraine.

“He has the biggest territory in the world, and he needs just a few kilometres?” Zelenskyy said. He added that it was therefore difficult to understand the idea that Russia's ambitions could be satisfied by taking “this part of Ukraine, just these few kilometres, and that's it”.

Zelenskyy said Putin's goal was broader than territorial gains and that he believed the Russian president wanted all of Ukraine to become part of Russia. He has made similar comments previously, saying Putin would not abandon his objective of occupying Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president also rejected the idea that the war could end with a “win-win” outcome for both sides. Given the scale of the casualties, he said the priority should be to stop the fighting and save lives rather than seek an outcome that would be equally beneficial to Russia and Ukraine. CBC reported that Zelenskyy described peace and an end to the war as the most important outcome for human life.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv remained in regular contact with Washington and that discussions were continuing. He also called for stronger US sanctions against Russia, arguing that greater economic pressure was needed to reduce Moscow's ability to continue the war. The US Congress is currently considering further measures targeting Russia, including expanded tariffs and sanctions.

Zelenskyy claimed the US side has asked Kyiv not to disclose details of the negotiations while proposals are still being developed. He said preparations were under way for a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York later this month.

A meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump in September has been preliminarily agreed, according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry. The talks are expected to address efforts to end the war and the possible restoration of a trilateral negotiating format involving Ukraine, the US and Russia.

The latest diplomatic efforts come after a new round of US-led contacts with Moscow and Kyiv earlier this month. The two sides remain divided over the terms of a potential settlement, while fighting continues.