Zelenskyy claims Putin's grip is slipping as Ukraine gains ground

Ukraine's president walked out of talks in London with a blunt message: Russia's losing. Volodymyr Zelenskyy sat down with the Guardian after meeting with UK PM Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to hash out what comes next in the conflict.

His assessment was direct. Ukraine's military position is stronger now than it's been in over two years, he said. The momentum has shifted. Russia, he argued, isn't winning—and Putin's days are numbered if the pressure keeps up.

But here's the thing: Zelenskyy isn't just making noise for headlines. He's pushing Europe and the wider world to stay locked in. If support fractures, if countries start hedging their bets, the whole picture changes. That's the real worry underneath his optimism.

The London meetings matter because they signal something. These three leaders didn't gather to discuss surrender terms or compromise deals. They came to coordinate the next moves in a war that's been grinding for years. Starmer, Macron, and Merz all have different domestic pressures and strategic interests, so getting them in the same room and aligned is no small feat.

Zelenskyy's claim about Russia's initiative crumbling reflects what's actually been happening on the ground. Ukrainian forces have stopped being purely reactive. They're pushing back in places they'd lost territory, making tactical gains, and—crucially—forcing Russia to stretch its resources thinner. It's not a collapse, but it's not stalemate either.

The catch is sustainability. Ukraine can't win if the West gets bored or broke. That's why Zelenskyy was in London doing the rounds with three of Europe's most powerful figures. He needs them convinced that backing Ukraine now beats dealing with a victorious Russia later. Whether that message lands with voters and parliaments back home is another question entirely.