Zelenskyy criticises Europe for living in a bubble: if Ukraine falls, Putin will push further

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "is not afraid of Europeans" and warned that if Ukraine falls, the war will inevitably spill over into European Union countries.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with French broadcaster France 2

Quote: "Putin is not afraid of Europeans. [...] They are our partners, they have helped us a lot, but Putin unfortunately is not afraid of them. Why? Because Europeans live in a wonderful, safe and beautiful world that they have built themselves… [...] It's as if the Europeans are unable to believe that this [war] could happen in their own countries. Life in Europe is totally different – it's comfortable, pleasant."

"But today it is clear that if Ukraine does not stop Putin, he will invade Europe. Ukraine's neighbouring countries understand that they would be Putin's first victims and that Russia will push further. Their drones can operate over long distances, their missiles have unlimited range. They will launch strikes everywhere."

Details: Zelenskyy emphasised that the "pure democracy" Europeans are used to cannot defeat Putin, because he does not follow the rules of war.

The president also criticised the stance of some European countries that treat the war in Ukraine as someone else's problem. He said that when leaders refuse to increase military spending due to rising electricity costs or domestic issues, they simply "do not want to acknowledge all the risks" that exist today.

Zelenskyy stressed that countries that understand the threat are helping Ukraine, while others are trying to shield themselves from reality.

He believes Putin is only afraid of US President Donald Trump, as he has real leverage through economic pressure and weapons.

Quote: "Putin is only afraid of Trump. That's a fact. [...] President Trump knows he has ways to apply pressure through the economy, sanctions and weapons. Weapons he can supply to us if he does not want to involve the US military directly. He can maintain this pressure on Putin through our armed forces, all of this is possible."

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