Territorial concessions to Putin in Ukraine would spark war in Europe, says Zelenskyy
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Territorial concessions by Ukraine would only allow Putin to use the seized areas as a staging ground for an attack on Europe, if it fails to become strong, according to president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his interview with Le Point.
The head of state drew attention to the opinion of some media outlets suggesting that if the armed forces of Ukraine withdrew from the eastern regions of the country, peace would be restored.
Zelenskyy reminded that Putin invaded Crimea in 2014 to turn it into a staging ground and encircle the south of Ukraine, that is, to prepare for a further offensive.
"In 2014 he (Putin) invaded part of the eastern part of our country to use it as a staging ground for the full occupation of these regions. If tomorrow we were somehow to leave Donbas, which will not happen, we would open up an unprotected space to Putin right next to the city of Kharkiv with its 1.5 million residents. He would also capture the industrial hub of Dnipro, and that would open new opportunities for him," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, if Putin’s initial plan to seize all of Ukraine had succeeded, he would have used the country as a platform to invade Europe. Whether he succeeds or not depends on how strong Europe will be.
"If Europe is strong, he will probably do nothing. But if it is weak, then it will suffer from Russia’s actions," the head of state said.
The president also reminded that the distance between Moscow and Paris is less than 3,000 kilometers, while the missiles Russia uses to strike Ukraine have a range of 2,500 kilometers.
He added that Ukraine already possesses missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers, meaning that the war is spurring technological development "in us, in Europe, but also in Russia."
"Thanks to this technological progress there are no more 'distant wars.' Believe me, in two years the Russians will have many missiles with a range of 5,000 kilometers. The sea will protect no one, the ocean will protect no one. In this context, the weapons Russia is using today are not that different from nuclear carriers," Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that the fate of Ukraine will determine where this eastern border lies. If Ukraine does not hold, that border will run along Poland, or even Germany.
"Once, Europe was divided in this way. The eastern border of West Germany was the border of the Western world. Today it all depends on us. How much will we allow Russian ambitions to run wild?" Zelenskyy added.
Scenarios to end war
The presidential office has noted that one possible scenario for ending the war could be freezing hostilities along the frontline.
Zelenskyy has not ruled out the application of a Korean scenario after the war in Ukraine.
In addition, according to the head of state, Putin fears Ukraine’s success and its accession to the EU.
Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has outlined conditions for a "long-term" peace, identical to those previously voiced by Vladimir Putin.
