Zelenskyy Pushes for Regime Change in Russia, Confiscation of Assets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the international community to push for a “regime change” in Russia, warning that without such action, Moscow will continue to destabilize neighboring countries even after the war in Ukraine ends.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came during a virtual address at a conference in Helsinki, Finland, marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, a Cold War-era agreement aimed at improving relations between rival blocs.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Russia can be compelled to stop its war in Ukraine, but a lasting solution requires a change in Russia’s regime. “I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. It started it, and it can be made to end it,” Zelenskyy said.
“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’s call for regime change is accompanied by a demand for stronger economic measures against Moscow, including the confiscation of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense against ongoing Russian aggression.
“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,” he stated. “It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them and use them to serve peace, not war.”
The conference, which included notable guests such as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, comes at a time when Russia’s relations with the West are at a low point following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia has suspended participation in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) parliamentary assembly, branding it discriminatory, although it remains listed as a member state.
In response to Zelenskyy’s comments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would participate in the meeting but would not send high-level representatives. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in Ukraine, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. #Zelenskyy Pushes for Regime Change in Russia, Confiscation of Assets#
