Zelensky Warns Putin May Attack NATO Country to Distract From Heavy Losses at Home

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia could target another European country with drones, missiles or even a ground operation as Moscow seeks to fracture Western unity and weaken support for Ukraine. Speaking to reporters after meeting US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Zelensky was asked by Fox News Digital about the risk of Russia attacking another European country.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces growing pressure at home as Moscow fails to secure the battlefield victories needed to justify the mounting costs of the war. “He’s not winning. For him, it’s a problem because he has to show [something] to his internal society,” Zelensky said. Putin’s concern, Zelensky argued, is how to explain Russia’s heavy losses to his own population. “When you have one million people on the battlefield, on the territory of another country, who are dying – 32,000 to 33,000 per month – how can you explain what for, if you don’t have any victories?” he said. He argued that Putin desperately needs an outcome he can portray domestically as a triumph, questioning whether capturing the Donbas region alone would satisfy the Kremlin’s ambitions. “What is a victory? Donbas? I’m not sure. Don’t trust [that],” he said. Other Topics of Interest Europe Warned It Is Running Out of Time to Prepare for Wider War With Russia Speakers in Kyiv warn that Europe’s reliance on the US, slow defense production and political divisions could leave it vulnerable to a wider conflict. ‘How to divide unanimity in Europe?’ Unable to achieve its broader aims in Ukraine, Zelensky said Moscow could instead try to weaken Kyiv by breaking Western unity built by Ukraine and its allies since the 2022 full-scale invasion. “If you don’t have victories here, if you are only [bringing] chaos and terror by ballistic missiles, what do you sell your nation?” One option, he said, is to divide Europe and drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. “To decrease support to Ukraine. If the support decreases, he can push further,” Zelensky said. “How to divide unanimity in Europe if we built it? We didn’t have it before the war, but we built it together,” he continued. “To attack somebody else? To attack and say, ‘Look, I will go further if you will not stop this.’” Zelensky said Moscow is already seeking to intimidate European societies through drones and cross-border incidents, pointing to Moldova, Romania and Poland, as well as disruptions involving airports in Germany and Nordic countries. “He will continue doing this,” the Ukrainian leader warned. “That’s why the risk of offensive by drones, missiles or land operation is very high against other countries who are bordering Russia or Belarus.” When asked by Fox News Digital how threatened nations should react to these border violations, Zelensky’s response was unequivocal.“Respond. Always respond,” he said. “It’s not about [starting] a war. If you don’t respond to Russians, they will go further.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.