Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the BBC that "President Putin has started World War III and the only way to make him back down is through massive military and economic pressure."

He said he was not losing and that the war would ultimately end in Ukraine's victory.

"I still believe that Putin has started it. The question is how much territory he can seize and how to stop it Russia wants to impose a different way of life on the world and change the lives that people have chosen for themselves," he said.

Russia has demanded the transfer of more than 20% of eastern Ukraine, which it now controls and has demanded until the end. The question is whether this demand is unreasonable until a ceasefire is achieved.

Zelenskyy responded, “I look at this issue differently. I don’t look at it as a simple land issue. I look at it as a surrender, as a weakening of our position, as an abandonment of hundreds of thousands of our people who live there. That’s how I see it. I am sure that ‘leaving’ will divide our society.”

The president said he did not believe that simply answering this demand would satisfy President Putin’s wishes in the long run. “Maybe it will be enough for a while He wants to take a break,” he said.

"I think he can recover in less than two years. Where will he go next? We don't know. But it's clear that he wants to continue the war," they shared their concerns.

Last week, Ukraine and Russia held talks in Geneva under the auspices of the United States. The talks ended without an agreement.