Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says the security of the world is at stake amid Russia war: “The threat is real”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he fears Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine could escalate if Ukraine, supported by its allies, does not stand firm against further Russian military advancement. 

Zelenskyy sat down with 60 Minutes in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, a week after a Russian missile killed 19 people, including nine children near a playground.

Zelenskyy said that at this moment in the war, the security of the entire world is at stake.

“If we do not stand firm, he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) will advance further,” Zelenskyy said. “It is not just idle speculation; the threat is real. Putin’s ultimate goal is to revive the Russian empire and reclaim territories currently under NATO protection. Considering all of this, I believe it could escalate into a world war.” 

He added: “There won’t be a safe place, there won’t be a safe place for (anyone).”

At the destroyed playground, Zelenskyy laid his memorial to the nine dead children. He told correspondent Scott Pelley about this latest attack: “This means that we can’t trust Russia. It’s that we can’t trust negotiations with Russia.”

There are daily Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.1,700 attacks on schools, over 600 children dead, 780 medical facilities attacked, 13,000 civilians killed, and as many as 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers dead.

“Our people are paying the highest price possible,” Zelenskyy told 60 Minutes. “There is no higher price. We have given all our money – all we have in terms of finances. But most important, we gave [the lives of] our people.”

These are the points Zelenskyy tried to convey in February, as President Trump opened negotiations with Russia – initially without Ukraine. Then, Mr. Trump also claimed that Ukraine had started the war and called the democratically-elected Zelenskyy, “a dictator without elections. Zelenskyy better move fast or he’s not going to have a country left. Gotta move, gotta move fast ’cause that war is moving in the wrong direction.” Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

“I believe, sadly, (that) Russian narratives are prevailing in the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said. “How is it possible to witness our losses and our suffering, to understand what the Russians are doing, and to still believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not start this war? This speaks to the enormous influence of Russia’s information policy on America, on U.S. politics and U.S. politicians.”

In February, Zelenskyy traveled to Washington for the Oval Office meeting with Mr. Trump. He listened to the U.S. president equate Ukraine’s dead to those of Russia’s invasion force.

“President Trump, being a strong president of a strong country, must be on Ukraine’s side,” Zelenskyy said. “I think it is wrong that America wants to be neutral.”

The Trump Administration says it is working to negotiate a deal to end the war. On Friday, Mr. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow, for what the White House called “another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire and an ultimate peace deal in Russia and Ukraine.”

An invitation extended

Mr. Trump vowed during the election campaign last year to bring a swift end to the war. The White House has announced partial ceasefires, but they haven’t happened. Now, Trump says that he is losing patience with Putin.

Zelenskyy said he would welcome Mr. Trump in Ukraine so he could “understand what’s going on here.”

“We respect your position,” he said in English, in an invitation directed to Mr. Trump, “but, please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of plans for negotiations, come to see the people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.”

“Come, look, and then let’s move with a plan on how to finish the war. You will understand with whom you have a deal. You will understand what Putin did.”

Produced by Maria Gavrilovic. Associate Producer Alex Ortiz. Edited by Peter Berman.

Scott Pelley

Scott Pelley, one of the most experienced and awarded journalists today, has been reporting stories for 60 Minutes since 2004. The 2024-25 season is his 21st on the broadcast. Scott has won half of all major awards earned by 60 Minutes during his tenure at the venerable CBS newsmagazine.