Zelensky responded to Putin's statements about Ukraine's statehood

Vladimir Putin's statements that Ukraine is allegedly incapable of existing as an independent state show that Russia's goal is not only to seize individual Ukrainian territories. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Moscow seeks to deprive Ukraine of its independence and extend the threat to other countries in the region.

Zelensky said this on October 2 during his speech at the Helsinki Security Forum, which he joined via video link. The president also published the main points of his speech in his Telegram channel.

Zelensky drew attention to the rhetoric of the Russian leadership about Ukraine's statehood. In his opinion, such statements directly show what result Putin would like to achieve as a result of the war.

The President of Ukraine stressed that he does not consider Moscow's territorial claims to the eastern regions to be the ultimate goal of the Russian leadership. According to his assessment, Putin does not want to see a strong and independent Ukraine next to Russia and seeks to establish control over the entire country.

As reported by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, Zelensky said at the forum that he considers Putin's ultimate goal to be an attempt to restore the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. Therefore, he linked the Russian threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the Baltic states and other countries bordering Russia.

Zelensky also stressed that Russian aggression is already going far beyond direct military action at the front. Among the current threats, he named attacks on data centers, mobile communications facilities, and Ukraine's logistics and railway infrastructure.

Separately, the president mentioned pressure on maritime communications and characterized what is happening as hybrid warfare. According to him, this is why Ukraine's experience in countering Russia matters for the security of the whole of Europe.

Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to share with European countries its accumulated military and technological experience—from protecting critical infrastructure to countering drones and other modern threats.

In his speech, he also linked Ukraine's resilience to the security of the European Union and NATO. In the president's opinion, strengthening the Ukrainian army, defense industry, and infrastructure simultaneously reduces risks for other European states.

Among the elements of long-term security, Zelensky named a modern army with real combat experience, distributed defense capabilities, resilient infrastructure, and support from the EU, the US, and NATO.

He also touched on the issue of Ukraine's European integration. According to Zelensky, one of the main obstacles on this path remains Russia, since Moscow is interested in ensuring that Ukraine does not become a strong independent state integrated into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

The Helsinki Security Forum is taking place in Finland on October 2–4. The forum's opening was also attended by President of Finland Alexander Stubb and President of Moldova Maia Sandu. The discussion focused on Russia's war against Ukraine, the future of European security, the resilience of states, and Europe's relations with Moscow after the war ends.

During the discussion, Stubb noted that rebuilding trust between Western countries and Russia after the war will be a long process. Sandu, in turn, stressed the importance of European integration for the security of Moldova and other states in the region.

Russian officials have publicly rejected claims by Western and Ukrainian politicians about the intention to restore the Soviet Union. At the same time, Putin has repeatedly questioned certain aspects of Ukrainian statehood and independence, as well as disputed the historical grounds for Ukraine's existence within its current borders. Zelensky views this rhetoric as confirmation that Moscow's territorial demands are only part of a broader goal of the war.