Zelenskyy opposes temporary truce: "We only delay the detonation"

He told TIME journalist Simon Shuster about this.

“For us, it would mean leaving this wound open for future generations. Maybe it will calm some people down inside our country, and outside, at least those who want to wrap things up at any price. But for me, that’s a problem, because we are left with this explosive force. We only delay its detonation,” Zelenskyy said of the temporary truce.

Some of his advisers told the newspaper that Zelenskyy's unbreakable will was an obstacle for their team to develop a new strategy. Regarding the future of the war, one issue was excluded from the discussion: the possibility of a peace treaty with Russia. According to recent polls, the majority of Ukrainians would reject such a move, especially if it resulted in the loss of any occupied territory.

For now, Zelenskyy is seeking to win the war on Ukraine's terms and is changing tactics to achieve this. Aware that Western arms supplies may eventually run out, Ukrainians have increased production of drones and missiles, which they use to attack Russian logistics routes, command centers, and ammunition depots deep behind enemy lines. In response, the Russian forces have stepped up their bombing of civilians and increased the number of missile strikes on infrastructure that Ukraine needs to heat homes and maintain power during the winter.

Zelenskyy sees this as a struggle of will and expresses concern that if Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not stopped, the conflict could spill over its borders: "I have been living with this fear for a long time. World War III could start in Ukraine, continue in Israel, and from there move to Asia, and then break out somewhere else."

• Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian Formula for Peace is becoming global: almost 70 global actors have already joined the process.