Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned a number of international locations could also be in Vladimir Putin’s sights and shall be liable to an assault ought to Kyiv cease its resistance.
Throughout a press convention, Mr Zelensky named 4 European nations he believes may share the identical destiny as Ukraine.
In a video shared by advisor to the Minister of Inner Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko, the president stated: ”Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova could also be subsequent. And it’s sure if we don’t stand up to.”
Mr Zelensky, who has began a tour of the Baltic states and was in the present day in Lithuania to thank the nation for its accepted package deal of long-term navy help to Ukraine value some £172million, famous Russia has been firing threats at a couple of nations in latest months.
He stated: ”We now have heard not too long ago that they’ve began speaking about Finland, they’ve began speaking in regards to the independence of Uzbekistan, and so forth. He [Vladimir Putin] is not going to end this till we collectively end him.”
In mid-December, the Russian President ominously stated there shall be ”issues” with Finland after it joined the Western navy alliance, NATO, in 2023.
He stated: ”They [the West] took Finland and dragged it into NATO! Why, did we’ve any disputes with Finland? All disputes, together with these of a territorial nature in the midst of the twentieth century, have all been resolved way back.
”There have been no issues, however now there shall be, as a result of we’ll now create the Leningrad navy district there and positively focus navy items there.”
Finland’s accession to NATO is predicted to be adopted by that of Sweden, one other nation prompted to go away its impartial stance within the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Additionally in December, ultranationalist pro-Kremlin author Zakhar Prilepin had publicly referred to as for the territory of Uzbekistan to be included into Russia’s, prompting the Uzbek International Ministry to summon Russian Ambassador Oleg Malginov.
Russian International Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated the author had solely expressed ”his private opinion, that has nothing to do with Russia’s official place”.
All through 2023, Russia hasn’t simply focused single international locations with its threats, but additionally raised fears of a brand new world struggle. In October, the Kremlin claimed to have rehearsed its skill to ship a ”huge” nuclear strike.
Mr Zelensky’s warning got here as Ukraine continues to battle Russian troops on the battlefield. On January 10, the nation’s Military Normal Employees stated its forces had repelled dozens of Russian assaults within the course of Avdiivka, Mariinsky, Kupiansk and Kherson.
On the similar time, Ukraine is warning its Western allies it’s working out of navy provides, as each the EU and the US have but not accepted the supply of billions value of support to the war-torn nation.