The photos in the news speak for themselves: the Russian army leaves a trail of destruction in large parts of Ukraine. Cities like Mariupol lie in ruins, lifeless bodies line the streets in Bucha. These images still seem far away from us; but if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to be believed, the war could soon be raging on our own doorstep.
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Ukraine is said to be just the beginning
The Ukrainian president regularly addresses both his people and the world at large. In a speech recently published on Telegram, he warns, according to NBC News, that Russian forces will not be satisfied with a possible victory in Ukraine alone.
As well as renewing calls for an embargo on Russian oil and gas, he warned the Western world that ‘the whole European project is a target for Russia.’
Boris Johnson also sounds the alarm
In doing so, he is striking similar notes to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who warned of a full-scale invasion of Europe by Russia back in early March. The Independent quotes him as saying:
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is aimed at overthrowing the Cold War order and destroying the vision of a complete and free Europe. Putin's imperial ambitions will not end at Ukraine's borders; no country is safe if he succeeds there.
What is fairly certain is that an end to the war, in which the starvation of the Ukrainian population is part of a perfidious war strategy, is probably still a long way off. The Tagesschau reports that the US Department of Defence expects Russian reservists to be called up (a case, incidentally, that could also occur in Germany in the event of a possible war).
In addition, Russian General Alexander Dvornikov, nicknamed ‘the Butcher of Syria’, has been tasked with further operations in Ukraine. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the US, assesses this in the Sun with the following words:
This general has a reputation that includes brutality against civilians in other locations - in Syria - and we can expect more of the same. He will be just another perpetrator of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians.
This article was translated from Gentside DE.
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⋙ Vladimir Putin says he's ready to invade six European capitals 'in two days' in worrying statement
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