- Category
- Latest news
“It Started It, and It Can Be Made to End It”: Zelenskyy Calls for Regime Change in Russia
- Authors
![Photo of Maryna Kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the international community to push for “regime change” in Russia, warning that without it, Vladimir Putin would continue efforts to destabilize neighboring countries.
Zelenskyy stated this at a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the Helsinki Final Act on July 31.
“I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. It started it, and it can be made to end it, but if the world doesn’t aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilize neighboring countries,” Zelenskyy said.
The President also renewed calls for the seizure of Russian financial assets, following another deadly missile strike on Kyiv.
“We need to fully block Russia’s war machine ... put every frozen Russian asset, including the stolen wealth of corruption to work defending against Russian aggression. It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them and use them to serve peace, not war,” Zelenskyy said in a virtual address to the event.
In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries froze more than $300 billion in Russian central bank reserves held abroad, along with tens of billions in private assets tied to oligarchs. These assets remain frozen—not confiscated—due to legal concerns over property rights.
Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials argue that freezing is no longer enough. They are urging allies to confiscate these assets and use them to rebuild Ukraine and fund its defense, a step that is gaining political traction but faces legal and diplomatic hurdles.
Previously, The European Parliament has urged EU member states to confiscate frozen Russian state assets and redirect the funds toward Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction.
