Russia could open a second front in Europe before the war in Ukraine concludes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the British newspaper Guardian. In his view, this could be driven by the lack of real successes by the Russian army.
It doesn’t need to finish to start elsewhere
“We must forget the prevailing belief in Europe that Putin first wants to occupy Ukraine, and only then will he move his troops elsewhere. He can do both at the same time,” Zelensky emphasized in an interview published Sunday evening. The Ukrainian leader linked the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones and their appearance over airports in Copenhagen, Munich, and Brussels to the lack of significant progress by the Russian army on the front. “Putin is in a dead-end situation when it comes to real success. It’s more of a stalemate. That’s why these failures may push him to seek other territories,” Zelensky said.
In his view, Russia is a large and aggressive country that needs a strong external adversary – currently, that is the West and the USA. “Friendship with Russia is not a solution for America. In terms of values, Ukraine is much closer to the United States than Russia,” he emphasized. Zelensky assured that he is working closely with international partners on support for the Ukrainian military. The Guardian noted that the UK and other allies have so far ruled out sending their fighter jets to patrol the airspace over western and central Ukraine.
Zelensky no longer wants to push partners too hard
He also said he would like to order 27 Patriot air defense systems from their American manufacturer, but before that happens, he would like European countries to lend their Patriots to Ukraine.
When asked by the newspaper whether he would like British soldiers to come to Ukraine, for example to take defensive positions on the border with Belarus, Zelensky responded affirmatively. He cautioned, however, that “the question of a European military presence in Ukraine during ongoing fighting must be treated carefully,” the Guardian wrote.
Zelensky assessed that the leaders of allied countries “do not want to get involved in the war,” fearing criticism from public opinion in their countries. The Ukrainian president is aware that if he pushes too hard on this issue, Kyiv could lose “the financial and military support of current partners.”