KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Russia had to be forced to make peace as President Vladimir Putin wanted to fight, and that war was coming back to Russia after Moscow had taken it to other countries.

The Ukrainian leader, speaking in his nightly address, said that Kyiv’s major cross-border assault into the western region of Kursk was a matter of security for Ukraine and that Kyiv had captured areas from where Russia had launched strikes.

Russian army concedes Ukraine advances in Kursk offensive

“Russia must be forced to make peace if Putin wants to fight so badly,” Zelenskiy said.

He said Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, which lies across the border from Kursk region, had been attacked almost 2,100 times by Russian cross-border strikes since June 1.

“Russia brought war to others, now it’s coming home. Ukraine has always wanted only peace, and we will certainly ensure peace,” he said.