Zelenskyy warns Putin readies covert mobilization to pressure Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: facebook.com zelenskyy.official.jpg)
Putin is deliberately preparing a large-scale but covert mobilization in Russia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the hundreds of thousands of people being mobilized are needed by the Kremlin not only for the front but also to exert psychological pressure on Europe.
Covert mobilization in Russia
According to the president, Putin plans to carry out a mass mobilization without officially announcing it. To do so, the Kremlin uses shadow contracts and border restrictions.
"He thinks about how to deceive his own people. In other words, carry out a mass mobilization without announcing it. Set up some kind of shadow contracts, block the borders. We can see it; we are already seeing many relevant steps," Zelenskyy said.
The head of state stressed that the more Russians are mobilized, the greater their losses will be.
Pressure on Europe
Zelenskyy stressed that Putin plans to use the mobilized troops as a tool of psychological pressure—not only on Ukraine but also on neighboring European countries.
"To show that I am mobilizing half a million people in the fall. And there is no guarantee that I will use these half a million only in Ukraine," the president quoted Putin as saying.
Position on territories
Zelenskyy stressed that there will be no concessions regarding Ukrainian territory and that Putin's attempts to bargain with the US side are merely manipulation.
He stated that Ukraine is not going to simply withdraw from the Donbas or abandon its people.
"No one can guarantee that this person will not go further. Absolutely no one guarantees it, and no one is ready to guarantee it," the president concluded.
North Koreans in Russia
Zelenskyy also said that North Korean troops are present on Russian territory. According to him, the number initially stood at hundreds, then thousands, and a decision has now been made to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 North Koreans to Russia.
The president stressed that they are studying this war and gaining experience in modern combat, which could pose a threat to other countries in Asia if tensions in the Pacific region escalate.
Earlier, Zelenskyy warned that a large-scale mobilization in Russia would pose a direct challenge to Europe, as Putin needs to "sell" success and would seek quick victories beyond Ukraine.
In addition, the Ukrainian side warns the Kremlin is systematically laying the groundwork for new mobilization efforts to compensate for the army's heavy losses.
