Vladimir Putin has already triggered World War Three, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned, insisting the only way to stop him is throughoverwhelming military and economic pressure.

In a weekend interview at Kyiv's central government complex, Zelensky rejected calls for his country tohand over occupied landin exchange for peace, arguing that Putin's territorial ambitions stretch well beyond Ukrainian soil.

When asked about the spectre of WW3 coming to Europe, he said: "I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him...Russiawants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves."

The Express reported how tensions between Russia and the West skyrocketed on Sunday when Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued a direct nuclear threat at one of NATO's members. Mr Peskov told the Russian news outlet Vesti the Kremlin is ready to do anything needed to ensure the country's security, and warned one of the Baltic Countries over the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory.

Addressing Estonia, which on February 18 signalled it was open to host a NATO ally's nuclear weapons on its territory if deemed necessary, he said: "If there are nuclear weapons on Estonian territory aimed at us, then our nuclear weapons will be aimed at Estonian territory. And Estonia must clearly understand this."

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During aBBCinterview, Zelensky brushed aside growing pressure from Western analysts and politicians who claim military victory is impossible without giving ground to Moscow. He insistedUkrainewould triumph rather than collapse, and dismissed Putin's ceasefire demands as unacceptable.

Stopping Putin and preventing him from swallowing Ukraine would represent a triumph for the entire planet, he argued, because the Russian leader's appetite for conquest won't end at Ukraine's frontiers.

Source: Daily Express :: World Feed