Ukrainian President acknowledges the possibility of a “full-scale war” with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia has not been ruled out amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

In response to a question at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) Forum on the possibility of a full-scale war with Russia, Zelensky said, “Yes, it can happen. That is true.”

“It’s the worst thing that can happen, but unfortunately it’s possible,” he added.

Zelinsky’s remarks were made when Russia and former Soviet ally Belarus launched Zapad-2021 on September 9. This is a large-scale strategic military training involving tens of thousands of military personnel, tanks and cannons, including those from Kazakhstan, a Moscow-led defense block member. , And aircraft. The exercise surprised Ukraine and some NATO countries.

Indian military personnel will attend a ceremony to hold the Zapad-2021 military exercise performed by Russian and Belarusian troops at the Murino Training Ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia on September 9, 2021. (Distribution via Vadim Savitskiy / Russian Defense Ministry Press / Reuters)

Russian military personnel will attend a ceremony to hold the Zapad-2021 military exercise performed by Russian and Belarusian troops at the Obz-Lesnovsky Training Ground in the Brest region of Belarus on September 9, 2021. (VadimYakubyonok / BelTA / Handout via Reuters)

Belarus’ Deputy Defense Minister Victor Grevic has previously responded to concerns that the exercise poses no threat “to the European Community as a whole or to its neighbors.”

According to Zelensky, relations between the two countries have collapsed as a result of the ongoing conflict that began in 2014. Since then, more than 14,000 people have been killed in combat.

“Ukraine and Ukrainian to Russian attitude after this [conflict] broken. It doesn’t matter. ” “Who are we now? Partners or friends? We have become enemies. It is another shelf of relationships. We have changed from friends to enemies. This abyss, you can imagine this distance. And how can I shorten it, how can I deal with it? No one knows. Only time helps. “

A spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Peskov commented on Zelensky’s remarks about the possibility of a war between Russia and Ukraine that Kremlin did not want to indulge in “apocalyptic expectations,” the news agency said. Reported by TASS..

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Kremlin, to attend a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on February 7, 2020 at Rosactor in the Black Sea Resort in Sochi, Russia. Arrive. )

“We don’t want to settle for apocalyptic expectations,” Peskov added, adding that the Kremlin regretted and responded to such a statement by the President of Ukraine.

Earlier this year, an increase in ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine and a large accumulation of Russian troops near the border fueled fears from new hostile forces in Kiev and the West.

In a tug of war with Moscow, Ukraine urged permission to join NATO. This is a decision that can offend the Kremlin.

“Yes, we honestly say we didn’t get a direct position [from the United States] Regarding Ukraine’s accession to NATO, “Zelensky said at the YES forum on Friday. “We are ready for NATO at our military level, first of all our professional level, and the reforms we carry out.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

from NTD News