"The only way for them to understand": Zelenskyy on need to close Western countries’ borders for Russians

Zelenskyy said this in an interview with the Washington Post.

"I said from the very beginning that I believe that the most important sanctions are to close the borders, because they are taking away someone else’s territory. Well, let them live in their own world until they change their philosophy. So, countries close the borders and put an embargo on energy resources. My personal opinion is that everything else is weaker," Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that now virtually all Russians, regardless of their opinion on the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, can travel abroad, and their children can study there.

Zelenskyy also expressed his conviction that Russians should bear responsibility for the government they elected.

"They elected these people and now they are not fighting them, they do not argue with them and don’t shout at them. The Russians who publicly oppose the war are just isolated cases and these people are in prisons. But let Russians go home, let everyone go to Russia. You want this isolation, don’t you? You’re telling the whole world that the whole world will live by your rules. Okay, then go there and live there," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian president called closing borders to Russians the only way to influence Putin.

"This is the only way to influence Putin. Because this person has no other fear but the fear for his life. And his life depends on whether he is threatened by his internal population or not. Nothing else is threatening to him. That’s the way it is. Therefore, when its population puts pressure on his decisions, then there will be results.And the war will end. These are very understandable sanctions, they are very simple. Just close the borders for a year and you’ll see the result.," Zelenskyy said.