Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for international support toward regime change in Russia, warning that President Vladimir Putin would continue to destabilize the region if left unchecked.
His remarks were delivered via video at a conference in Helsinki marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Helsinki Final Act.
“I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. It started it, and it can be made to end it,” Zelensky 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 destabilise neighbouring countries.”
The Ukrainian leader’s speech underscored mounting global frustration with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, which has triggered the most severe crisis in the history of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), an institution created in the aftermath of the Helsinki agreement.
Zelensky also demanded that frozen Russian assets be confiscated and repurposed to counter Russian aggression.
“It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them. Confiscate them and use them to serve peace, not war,” he asserted.
“We need to fully block Russia’s war machine … including the stolen wealth of corruption.”
Though invited to attend in person, Zelensky addressed the conference remotely. Russia, while participating in the event, did not send high-level representatives. Last week, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Moscow’s minimal representation.
The conference commemorated the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, signed by 35 nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union to promote peace, sovereignty, and the inviolability of borders across Europe.
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These principles have been increasingly undermined since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“One of Putin’s main ideas, now mainstream in Russia, is that its borders are wherever it wants them to be,” Zelensky noted, citing the growing threat to European stability.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for Russia’s expulsion from the OSCE, though the country remains a listed member.
In July 2024, Russian lawmakers voted to suspend participation in the body’s parliamentary assembly, labeling it “anti-Russian.”
Meanwhile, host nation Finland, a longtime advocate for OSCE principles, has taken a tougher stance against Moscow.
In December 2023, Helsinki closed its 1,340-kilometre border with Russia following a sudden influx of migrants without visas — a move it says was orchestrated by the Kremlin. Moscow has denied the accusation.
As tensions persist, Zelensky’s call for a global shift in dealing with Russia, not just diplomatically but structurally reflects a growing consensus that peace in Europe may require more than ceasefire negotiations.