If Russia feels backed into a corner, it has only itself to blame - Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a video adrress at the Madeleine K. Albright Democracy Awards ceremony, Ukrinform reports.

"If Russia feels backed into a corner, it has only itself to blame. Ukraine and the free world should definitely not change their goals and exchange their values for some compromises if the dictatorship is afraid to admit a mistake and tempts with a break in their battles. We must fully protect freedom and guarantee the security of our democracy," Zelensky said.

He added that whoever started an unprovoked and criminal war must lose and bear responsibility and that Ukraine and the world must receive guarantees of peace, stability and security.

"Apart from the Ukrainian victory, any other option will be a mistake, and this must be honestly admitted," Zelensky said.

Zelensky said he was sure that Putin had made the biggest mistake in his life and in the lives of modern generations of Russians by attacking Ukraine, but the haunted idea of any dictatorship is to ignore mistakes and pretend that there were no mistakes, especially when it comes to the mistake made by the dictator.

According to him, this is exactly how Russia is behaving now.

"Obviously, the dictator lost. But he is doing everything to ensure that Russia continues to fight, if only not to admit to himself and others that a historical mistake has been made," Zelensky said.