'Ukraine will never surrender': Zelenskyy delivers stark warning to Europe
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Russia sees a peaceful and united Europe as its enemy, and its military infrastructure is too extensive to be aimed solely at Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared this assessment at the Berlin Security Conference on November 3.
In Zelenskyy's view, Moscow has already made its decision about Europe, and this threat will not disappear anytime soon.
"We see that Russia has already made up its mind. It has decided that a peaceful and united Europe is its enemy. And this is not something that will simply go away in a year," the president said.
The president said it was encouraging that other countries around the world increasingly see Europe as a source of security. For now, he said, much of this potential remains untapped, but it could become a powerful force.
Zelenskyy also addressed the role of the United States.
"It's good that there is still a chance America will remain part of the security alliance that is so important for Europe," he said.
The president described Ukraine's situation as extremely difficult. At the same time, he assured the audience that the country would not break and posed a question to Europeans.
"But Ukraine will never surrender. Ukraine will always be strong. And Ukraine will always be European. But what will happen here?" Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy also discussed his assessment of the Russian threat during the same speech in Berlin. He urged Europeans to take a closer look at the military facilities Russia has been building up in recent years. In the president's view, their scale is too extensive for them to be intended solely for use against Ukraine.
Putin himself has said that Russia is ready for a war with Europe, although he claims Moscow does not seek a conflict.
European countries are taking these risks seriously. British Defense Secretary John Healey's successor, John? No — UK Defense Secretary John Healey's predecessor? British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the country must prepare for a possible war with Russia by 2030. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in turn, urged the EU not to become complacent, saying that Putin seeks not only Ukraine's defeat but also to undermine democracy in Europe.
