Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actually preparing to wage war against NATO despite his apparent willingness to hold peace negotiations.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Zelensky claimed his country has gathered intelligence showing Putin is planning to deploy 150,000 troops to Belarus to launch an invasion on NATO under the guise of conducting a training exercise.
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| Image Credit: screenshot/NBC News |
“We know for sure that he is preparing that from the territory of Belarus this year. It can happen in summer, maybe in the beginning, maybe in the end of summer. I do not know when he prepares it. But it will happen,” Zelensky said.
BREAKING: In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has intelligence suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin may be preparing troops to invade neighboring NATO countries.
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) February 16, 2025
If the U.S. were to depart NATO, the risk that… pic.twitter.com/XTm9nXxLOk
Zelensky warned that NATO countries could be next.
“And at that moment,” Zelensky continued, “knowing that he did not succeed in occupying us, we do not know where he will go. There are risks that this can be Poland and Lithuania because we believe – we believe that Putin will wage war against NATO.”
Zelensky went on to claim that Putin is only biding his time for NATO to weaken.
“That is why I told you that, ‘What is he waiting for?’ For a weakening of NATO by, for instance, policy of the United States of America, for example, that the United States of America will think to take its military from Europe,” he said. “Yes, Putin thinks of that. But I will believe that the United States will not take its forces, its contingents from Europe because that will severely weaken NATO and the European continent. Putin definitely counts on that. And the fact that we receive information that he will think of the invasion against former Soviet republics. And forgive me, but today these are NATO countries.”
President Trump spoke to Putin on the phone before reaching out to Zelensky last week, and is reportedly planning to send his officials to Saudi Arabia to begin peace discussions on the Ukraine conflict — without Zelensky’s representatives in attendance.
Zelensky reacted by declaring he would “never accept” any peace agreement decisions made by Trump and Putin without him at the table.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never,” he told host Kristen Welker.
Zelensky on Meet the Press:
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"I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never." pic.twitter.com/v6DL0ACGR0
Zelensky has ratcheted up his rhetoric against Russia amid reports he was being iced out of peace discussions.
For example, Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Friday called for the creation of a “European Armed Forces” to counter Russia in the event the US becomes unreliable.
“Let’s be honest, now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say ‘no’ to Europe on an issue that might threaten it. Many leaders have talked about a Europe that needs its own military, an army of Europe. And I really believe that the time has come for the Armed Forces of Europe to be created,” Zelensky said.
Given that Zelensky suspended his country’s elections in November 2023 and will likely no longer receive the same level of financial and military support under Trump that he did with Joe Biden, the Ukrainian president doesn’t appear to hold nearly the same political leverage he once did on the outset of the conflict.
Zelensky is aware of this, because he told Welker that Ukraine would likely not survive with U.S. support.
This may be why he’s opted instead to dial up the hawkish rhetoric against Russia in an appeal to European leaders.