MEDUZA | Published February 14, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing to deploy a significant number of troops to Belarus, which could be used for an invasion of a NATO country. He made the remarks in an interview with The Economist published on February 12.
“No one understands what war is until it comes to your home. I don’t want to scare anyone. [But] it will come,” Zelensky said. “As the world is slowly stopping [Russian President Vladimir] Putin today, slowly, too slowly, it will come. And that’s a fact.”
Citing Ukrainian intelligence, Zelensky said Putin is forming 10 to 15 divisions, totaling about 100,000 troops, to be sent to Belarus for military exercises — just as they were in the lead-up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“He [Putin] will tell you that this is training, exercises near the borders of Ukraine, as it was before. But believe me, this is the preparation of a bridgehead for offensive actions,” Zelensky said. “[W]ho told you that he will go to Ukraine? Who told you that he won’t go to Lithuania? To Poland?”
“It may be that while we are still standing, he is preparing a bridgehead for a large number of troops and simply takes this bridgehead and goes in a different direction. He goes to Poland, goes to Lithuania and occupies them. Why doesn’t anyone think that this will happen?” he added.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO countries have been bracing for potential aggression from the Kremlin. Some European leaders believe an attack in the coming years is a real possibility. In January, the German tabloid Bild reported that Germany’s Defense Ministry was considering a scenario in which Russia could strike NATO’s eastern flank in 2025. The Kremlin dismissed the report as “fake news.”
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SOURCE: www.meduza.com
RELATED: Putin may attack a NATO country from Belarus as early as next year, Zelenskyy says
EURONEWS | Published February 14, 2025
Ukraine’s president issued a stark warning, saying that Russia may be preparing an act of aggression against NATO members as early as next year. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack might come from Belarus.
Russia is preparing for a major military escalation, potentially targeting NATO countries as early as next year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, he specifically pointed at Belarus as a launchpad for a possible future attack. Zelenskyy said Kyiv “clearly understands what the Russians are going to do with Belarus.”
“Russia is preparing 15 divisions. Around 100-150,000 troops are being trained to aggravate the situation on the Belarus direction,” Zelenskyy said. “I am not sure if they will attack Ukraine, but they will attack. Maybe Ukraine, maybe Poland, maybe the Baltic countries.”
Ukraine’s president said that the EU politicians remain “very concerned” about the US reaction and possible support in case of an attack.
Everyone in Europe is concerned. Europeans are very concerned. They are afraid they will be left without the US support.”
“What we already see is that Europe will strengthen more this unity around Ukraine, because this is their protection. They understand more and more that they are next. Not in a distant future, but next,” Zelensky pointed out.
‘Military drills’ pretense
Earlier this week, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service issued a similar warning, saying that Russia may find the opportunity to launch a large-scale war on Europe within five years if Moscow “perceives NATO as militarily weakened or politically divided”.
In early 2022, Russia used Belarus as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was preceded by Minsk allowing Russian armed forces to stage weeks-long “military drills,” which were a facade for the planned invasion.
On 24 February, Russian troops crossed into Ukraine from Belarus, soon occupying the northern parts of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. Russian forces have entered Kyiv’s satellite cities of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel from Belarus, occupying the area until late March.
According to NATO estimates, the attack force that entered Ukraine from Belarus had up to 30,000 Russian troops.
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SOURCE: www.euronews.com
