Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Ukraine's Parliament in Kyiv in December. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky declared in a pre-recorded video message at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night that while the war against Russia's invading military "is not over" yet, "the tide is turning."
Driving the news: "The First World War claimed millions of lives," said Zelensky, who was introduced by actor Sean Penn during the telecast. "The Second World War claimed tens of millions of them. There will be no Third World War. It is not a trilogy: Ukraine will stop the Russian aggression on our land."
The big picture: Zelensky's comments come as Ukraine's forces battle Russian fighters, many of them Wagner Group mercenaries, around the eastern Ukrainian cities of Bakhmut and Soledar, which he's described as the "bloodiest places on the frontline."
What else he's saying: Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, told the Hollywood gathering that it's "already clear who will win" the war as he thanked supporters during his speech.
- "There are still battles and tears ahead, but now I can definitely tell you who are the best in the previous year, it was you," Zelensky added.
- "The free people of the free world. Those who united around the support of the free Ukrainian people in our common struggle for freedom."
Go deeper: Zelensky in surprise Grammy's video makes plea for Ukraine
Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.