Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has warned that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, could target a NATO country within the next five years to test the alliance’s strength.
In an interview with Sky News chief presenter, Mark Austin, the Ukrainian President said he does not believe Putin is ready to launch an immediate attack.
“I don’t believe he [Putin] is ready,” he said when asked if Russia could strike within months.
However, he warned that Putin’s capabilities could grow significantly if NATO allies fail to act swiftly.
“We believe that, starting from 2030, Putin can have significantly greater capabilities,” he said.
“Today, Ukraine is holding him up; he has no time to drill the army.”
Zelenskyy said Russian forces are suffering heavy losses. “Russia’s soldiers are all getting annihilated and wiped out at the battlefield.”
Despite this, he believes the Russian leader is biding his time.
“[Putin] needs a pause, he needs sanctions to be lifted, he needs a drilled army,” he said.
Zelenskyy criticised NATO’s defence spending plans, calling the pace too slow.
The alliance has committed to increasing military budgets to 5% of GDP by 2035.
“Very slow,” he said. “And 10 years is a very long time. He will have a new army ready [by then].”
On the Israel-Iran conflict, Zelenskyy acknowledged that it could affect support for Ukraine.
“It will be difficult for us,” he said, adding that aid from partners, including the United States, “may be reduced.”
Zelenskyy avoided criticism when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump. Instead, he commented on Trump’s dynamism with Putin.
He described them as “short-term partners” but “not friends.”
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