Zelenksy: Failure To Cut A Deal With Putin Could Lead To World War III

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, Mar. 20, 2022, he is ready to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but warned that if any negotiation attempts fail, it could mean the fight between the two countries would lead to "a third World War."

Photo Insert: President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to Ukrainian soldiers

“I’m ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations, we cannot end this war,” Zelensky told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an exclusive interview Sunday morning. On the negotiations, Zelenksy said, "if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third World War.”

In a related development, the White House says Biden has "no plans" to visit Ukraine this week as he heads to Europe for snap emergency summits.

"The trip will be focused on continuing to rally the world in support of the Ukrainian people and against President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but there are no plans to travel into Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a tweet.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also said on Sunday that Putin’s campaign in Ukraine is “stalled,” which is why he has resorted to “disgusting” attacks against civilians there. “We've seen deliberate targeting of cities and towns and civilians throughout the last several weeks,” Austin told CBS's "Face the Nation."

Zelensky also laughed off Putin's claims of neo-Nazis running roughshod in Ukraine and his threat that he "might be capable of very horrendous steps." Zelensky said that he cannot take these statements by Putin "seriously" and called it "laughable."

He added that Putin is in an information bubble but he noted that remarks like this from the Russian president worry him about what he is capable of.

"I'm not afraid of anything except for people, but the fact -- the fact is that if he is serious about this statement he might be capable of very horrendous steps because that would mean that this is not a game for him."

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