Asked on Sunday whether he thought stability in Europe was possible with Russian President Vladimir Putin in power, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine initially gave a one-word answer: “No,” Zelenskyy said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“I don’t have anything to add. My opinion is no,” he said when pressed further by host Margaret Brennan. “We have observed this over the years. We don’t see stability.”
Zelenskyy, who is currently leading a counteroffensive against Russia, said Russia has created threats including nuclear ones. These threats are escalating, he said.
“Look, maybe yesterday it was bluff. Now, it could be a reality,” Zelenskyy said of his Russian counterpart’s nuclear threats.
While he did not confirm an exact number, Zelenskyy said “thousands” of children in Ukraine had been separated from their families by Russia, constituting “horrible elements of genocide.”
And because Russia still occupies parts of Ukraine, other acts of brutality could be “still ahead of us,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president addressed the United Nations General Assembly virtually last week, imploring the world to continue supporting his country, which Russia invaded in February.
