If Russia creates empire, Poland will be next after Ukraine - Ukrainian intelligence chief

According to Budanov, the Russian authorities will not lose their desire to turn the country into an empire. And in the worst case scenario, after the occupation of Ukraine, Russia will try to seize other countries.

“If we go with the worst-case scenario, as they say, it's not a scenario, just a worst-case scenario, and it happened that three countries (Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine - ed.) united into one. Even though it is almost impossible, Poland will be the next to go. I am telling you this directly. And you should not be afraid of this, you should realize it. Then there will be Czechia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Everyone will go back. The Warsaw Pact countries are, as they say, a “minimum task” - if an empire is formed. And then it will happen,” Budanov said.

The Warsaw Pact is a treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance signed on May 14, 1955, in Warsaw by Albania, Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, the USSR, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. It entered into force on June 5, 1955.

War in Ukraine

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Putin wants peace talks not to end the war but to take a break. A ceasefire would also allow some sanctions to be lifted.

He also stated that Russia's war against Ukraine will end when a just peace is achieved, and Ukrainians need to stand up to the end.

During the forum, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had set a goal of achieving just peace in 2025.

At the same time, he had previously stated that he believed in ending the war in Ukraine in 2025. But this is not possible unilaterally.