Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may purposefully impose unrealistic demands on Kiev in order to conquer not only Ukraine but also the Baltic states.
When asked to clarify what he meant when he mentioned the risk of World War III if negotiations with Putin failed, Zelensky responded: “This means that he (Putin) was not going to end this war. His plan – in which Ukraine is perceived as an intermediate step to the final result – is to occupy the Baltic states, states that were part of the Soviet Union. (He is considering) other states that used to be under control of the Soviet Army and Soviet Union,” Ukrayinska Pravda reported.
“I said that if our talks with him fail, it will be clear that he does not accidentally set such conditions that we could not agree on. So he could say afterwards: they just did not want peace. As soon as it will use – if he does – all his forces on the borders with Europe or NATO, it will be World War III.”
Previously, in a March 20 interview with CNN, Zelensky stated that Ukraine would not compromise its territorial integrity or sovereignty.
He also stated that if all attempts to negotiate with Russia fail, the conflict between the two countries could escalate into a “third world war.
