Volodymyr Zelensky name checks five countries next on Putin's hit list if Ukraine falls

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a dire warning to his European allies about Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, suggesting that five additional countries could be at risk should Ukraine succumb to Russian forces.

In a press briefing in Kyiv, held on Monday on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, he stated that countries with "Russian roots" or historical ties to the Soviet Union could be next in Putin’s sights, reports the Mirror.

As evidence, Zelensky pointed to Russia’s use of Russian-speaking populations as justification for incursions, much like the annexation of Crimea in 2014. He specifically named Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia as vulnerable, saying: "When you have Russian-speaking people, or their roots, or their families...it's our history, then you are at risk. At the very beginning, they said that they are not occupying our territories, that they are defending Russian-speaking people.

"If we fall down... I think all such countries who I mentioned have this risk because of Russian policy, because their view of the Russian world."

This statement underlines the inherent threats faced by former territories of both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Latvia and Estonia are home to hundreds of thousands of Russian speakers, with tens of thousands more residing in Moldova.

Parts of Poland were once annexed into the Russian Empire, but the country was also a member of the Cold War-era Warsaw Pact, as was Czechoslovakia, which Slovakia separated from in 1991.

Putin previously accused Ukraine of occupying Russian lands in his 2021 essay 'On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians'. He argued that Russians and Ukrainians shared not only a common heritage but also a common destiny.

Another concern for Russia's neighbours is Putin's order last year that demanded the size of the country's army to be expanded to 2.4 million people - it is believed to be around 1.5 million at present. But Russia does face a major stumbling block to its expansionist ambitions, with four of the five countries mentioned by Zelensky being NATO members.

Under the terms of the organisation, all member states are obliged to come to the military aid of another should any one nation be targeted by an outside aggressor. Moldov,a meanwhile, has a defence arrangement with the European Union.

Zelensky shared his views during a meeting with world leaders. He was joined by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau among many others.

Zelensky stated: "Nobody in the world believes the Russian lies about our country and our people, even those who became Russia's ally," adding that "Russia's strategic target is Europe, the European way of life and the future of Europe. And the future of Europe cannot be decided without Europe".

Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump has shifted his stance towards Russia, echoing some of the Kremlin's rhetoric. Trump has referred to Zelensky as a "dictator" and suggested that Ukraine initiated the conflict.

Furthermore, Trump has excluded Ukraine from peace talks, instead engaging in discussions with Russia without Kyiv's representation, and downplayed Zelensky's significance in the peace process.

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