President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the possibility of ending the war or achieving a truce in Ukraine hinges on Europe's readiness to take a tougher stance on Russia.

Source : Zelenskyy in an interview with Polish media during a visit to Warsaw on 15 January, as reported by European Pravda

Details : Asked to comment on the possibility of ending the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2025, Zelenskyy said he felt such a desire on the part of US President-elect Donald Trump.

"I'm sure that Russia fears the United States, fears China and fears a united Europe. Without the Ukrainian army, Europe cannot cope with the Russian army, because the Russian army is bigger. Russia has more weapons, more people and is more brutal than Europeans," Zelenskyy emphasised.

He also stressed that Europeans live in a democracy and "don't know what war is", unlike Russia.

"And without the Ukrainian army, Europe, sadly, has no chance against Russia today. [Kremlin ruler Vladimir] Putin knows this and talks about it in his entourage. Therefore, he will quickly move on if Ukraine does not defend itself. That's a fact," Zelenskyy said.

He urged the EU to be "three times more pragmatic" and increase arms production – both for Ukraine and for itself – in order to "get ahead of Putin".

Background: 

• Zelenskyy had earlier mentioned the possibility of ending the war in 2025.
• However, he emphasised that for this to happen, Ukraine must receive reliable security guarantees to strengthen its negotiating position with Russia.

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