Zelenskiy predicts that Russia to expand war to NATO
- 16 February, 10:06
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Russia was likely to expand its war in Ukraine to NATO countries. In an interview with the NBC, he said Russian leader Vladimir Putin would take advantage of a weakened alliance should the US pull its military out of Europe.
“We believe that Putin will wage war against NATO,” Zelenskiy predicted, warning that the Russian president should not be trusted under any circumstances. “We know for sure that he [Putin] is preparing steps on the territory of Belarus this year. It can happen in summer, maybe in the beginning, maybe in the end of summer. I don't know when he prepares it, but it will happen."
"There are risks that this can be Poland and Lithuania because we believe that Putin will wage war against NATO,” he added.
Zelenskiy made the remarks as the US has signaled lack of support for Kyiv and is likely to make concessions to Russia in peace negotiations over war in Ukraine. Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskiy called for the creation of a combined European army to deter any threat from Russia.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has signaled major foreign policy shift with regards to Ukraine, raising fears that Washington will withdraw support for Kyiv completely. Last week, Trump announced he would hold negotiations with Putin, saying he trusted that the Russian leader wanted peace. Trump also shocked western allies by saying it was unlikely that Ukraine would joint the NATO, blaming Kyiv’s North Atlantic aspirations as the reason behind the nearly three-year war.
Concerns of Russia expanding the war beyond Ukraine's borders has been a concern since Moscow's full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
