Zelensky urges ‘regime change’ in Russia and calls for confiscation of assets

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses online the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, Finland. (AP)
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  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the world should push for “regime change” arguing that President Vladimir Putin otherwise would continue to destabilize its neighbors

HELSINKI: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the world should push for “regime change” in Russia, arguing that President Vladimir Putin otherwise would continue to destabilize its neighbors.
“I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. It started it, and it can be made to end it, 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 destabilize neighboring countries,” Zelensky told a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the “Helsinki Final Act” on respecting borders and territorial integrity.
Zelensky also called for the confiscation of Russia’s financial assets, following the latest deadly strike by Moscow on Kyiv.
“We need to fully block Russia’s war machine ... put every frozen Russian asset, including the stolen wealth of corruption to work defending against Russian aggression. It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them and use them to serve peace, not war,” Zelensky told the Helsinki conference in an online address.