Ukraine intends to throw out Russian troops from the entire country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" in an interview that was broadcast on Sunday.
"Our main goal is to de-occupy our whole territory," Zelenskyy said. "We just cannot allow Russia to continue the same occupation that they started back in 2014."
The Ukrainian military has launched a major counteroffensive against the Russian army in large areas of the south and east of the country in recent days, including in the southern region of Kherson, Politico reported.
Regarding Ukraine's military efforts, the president said, "We have no other way, and it's not our weakness. I believe it's our strength because Russia does have a way out. They can go back home. We have only this home to defend."
He added that the source of Ukraine's strength is the willingness of the population to hold out.
As the war hit its 200-day mark on Sunday, Zelenskyy referred to Russia's occupation, which began when its forces invaded in February, as "cannibalism."
He expressed gratitude for bipartisan backing in the United States, saying, "Without this support, we will not be able to return our lands."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.