Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to fight and seek the restoration of his country's empire unless Ukraine and its allies "stand firm" against Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS News.
During an interview with "60 Minutes" shown Sunday night, Zelenskyy warned that Putin's "ultimate goal" could result in "world war."
"If we do not stand firm, he [Putin] will advance further," Zelenskyy told CBS news. "It is not just idle speculation; the threat is real. Putin's ultimate goal is to revive the Russian empire and reclaim territories currently under NATO protection. Considering all of this, I believe it could escalate into a world war.
"There won't be a safe place, there won't be a safe place for [anyone]."
Zelenskyy called on President Donald Trump to support Ukraine.
"President Trump, being a strong president of a strong country, must be on Ukraine's side," Zelenskyy said. "I think it is wrong that America wants to be neutral."
The Ukrainian president even invited Trump to visit his war-torn nation.
"We respect your position," Zelenskyy said in English, "but, please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of plans for negotiations, come to see the people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.
"Come, look, and then let's move with a plan on how to finish the war. You will understand with whom you have a deal. You will understand what Putin did."
Russia began the war in Ukraine when it invaded the country unprovoked in February 2022.
Moscow forces continue to fire missiles despite Trump's call for an end to the war.
"I believe, sadly, [that] Russian narratives are prevailing in the U.S.," Zelenskyy said. "How is it possible to witness our losses and our suffering, to understand what the Russians are doing, and to still believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not start this war? This speaks to the enormous influence of Russia's information policy on America, on U.S. politics and U.S. politicians."
Russian missiles struck the heart of the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 people officials said, in the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week.
The attack on Sumy followed a deadly April 4 missile strike on Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed some 20 people, including nine children.
"This means that we can't trust Russia. It's that we can't trust negotiations with Russia," Zelenskyy told CBS News of the attack on his hometown.
"Our people are paying the highest price possible. There is no higher price. We have given all our money – all we have in terms of finances. But most important, we gave [the lives of] our people."
Roughly 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers, 13,000 civilians, and more than 600 children have been killed in the war.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.