Kyiv [Ukraine], February 23 (ANI): With nearly four years passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday stated that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin 'has already started' World War III following Moscow's invasion, stressing that Kyiv is acting as a frontline to prevent the conflict from escalating globally.

In a series of posts on X summarising his recent interview with the BBC, Zelenskyy said that there are differing opinions on whether the war in Ukraine amounts to a third world war but stressed that, in his view, the process has already begun.

'There are different views on World War III. I believe Putin has already started it. The question is: how much territory can he seize, and how to stop him? Not to prevent Russia from winning, but because Russia wants to impose its own world and change people's lives, which they like and choose for themselves. That is why I believe, and have long believed, that Putin has already started this war. And we are preventing him from turning this into a broader, full-scale World War III. Today, we are the outpost stopping Putin,' the Ukrainian President wrote in his post.

His remarks come a day ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.

Zelenskyy emphasised that strengthening Ukraine's air defence capabilities remains one of the most pressing challenges and expressed disappointment that international partners have not yet granted licences that would allow Ukraine to produce advanced air defence systems domestically.

'Air defence is the most challenging issue today. Unfortunately, partners have not yet granted licenses that would allow us to produce, for example, Patriot systems ourselves, or at least manufacture missiles for the systems we already have. So far, we have not achieved success in this,' he stated, referring to the US-made MIM-104 Patriot system.

Calling for greater support, Zelenskyy underscored the importance of securing Ukraine's airspace to protect civilians and ensure economic stability amid the ongoing conflict.

'How can we make Ukraine stronger in this war? It's obvious: close the sky. If civilians are protected, our rear is secured, people are working, children are in school, the economy is functioning, there is money, there are taxes that go to the front. In this way, we strengthen the army. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case. We need licenses at least for the missiles,' his post read.

Zelenskyy's remarks underscore Ukraine's ongoing challenges in bolstering its defences against Russian attacks. (ANI)