Zelensky reveals next five countries on Putin's hit list if Ukraine falls

Vladimir Putin claimed to be protecting Russian speakers in Crimea in 2014 and is believed to be ready to make a similar case to invade his country's neighbours where there are large numbers of Russian speakers

President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a stark warning to European allies that Vladimir Putin is eyeing up five other countries on the continent should Ukraine fall.

The Ukrainian leader revealed that Putin will be emboldened to invade nearby nations should his invasion not be brought to a halt. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday, marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, Zelensky warned European states that had "Russian roots" or were formerly a part of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence.

Zelensky warned Putin could use Russian speaking populations as a pretext for annexation, as he had with Crimea in 2014. He went on to name the countries he viewed at risk as being Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Moldova and Slovakia.

"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." Latvia, Estonia and Moldova were within the borders of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union.

Latvia and Estonia have hundreds of thousands of Russian speakers with tens of thousands living in Moldova. Parts of Poland were annexed into the Russian Empire but the country was also member of the Cold War-era Warsaw Pact as was Czechoslovakia, a country from which Slovakia would separate 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 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. Moldova 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.

"Nobody in the world believes the Russian lies about our country and our people, even those who became Russia's ally," Zelensky said. "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."

But across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump has increasingly pivoted toward Russia, even repeating lines similar to those spouted by the Kremlin. Mr Trump has called Zelensky a "dictator" and even accused Ukraine of having started the war.

He also side-lined Ukraine in peace negotiations, opting to start them with Russia and without representatives from Kyiv. Mr Trump even suggested that Zelensky was "not very important" to be in peace meetings.