The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has cautioned that a standstill in the ongoing war with Russia could result in a dormant volcano that will eventually awaken.

Zelenskyy addressed African journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to avoid a stalemate at all costs. He stressed that in order to bring an end to the war, it must be ended with dignity and accountability for those who have committed acts of aggression, captured territory, and caused loss of life.

The Ukrainian president believes that if the war reaches a deadlock, future generations of Ukrainians will be forced to battle once again, as Russia will continue to pose a threat if not properly addressed.

Zelenskyy made his statements two weeks after General Valery Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian military’s commander in chief, told The Economist that the conflict had reached a technological stalemate.

Zelenskyy acknowledged the challenging conditions on the battlefield, but expressed confidence that the conflict has not reached a standstill. He reiterated that Ukraine will not engage in talks with Russia until it fully withdraws from Ukrainian land.

In addition, on Wednesday, Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

Per the press release from the Ukrainian president’s office, the two leaders discussed the current conditions on the battlefield and focused on enhancing defense collaboration, particularly in regards to bolstering Ukrainian air defense and improving the capabilities of mobile units to combat drones.

Zelenskyy thanked Canada for a new sanctions package and praised Ottawa’s initiative to create an international coalition for the return of deported Ukrainian children. Canada proposed the coalition at a summit of national security and foreign policy advisers on Ukraine’s peace formula, held in Malta on Oct. 29.

Zelenskyy and Trudeau worked together to plan the next actions for advancing this initiative at a high level.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently met with Pierre Heillbronn, the French president’s special representative for Ukraine’s recovery and rebuilding efforts, in a diplomatic encounter.

“We discussed the involvement of the private sector in reconstruction. We are preparing specific projects in this direction,” Shmyhal said Wednesday. He also thanked France for extending the mandate of the French Development Agency to Ukraine and pointed to “a number of examples of establishing ties between the communities of Ukraine and France.”