Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Kyiv sees Russia preparing for a “big war” in Europe that could begin as early as 2029.
“We need more pressure on Russia. According to the situation on the battlefield, we don’t see that Russia wants to stop,” Zelensky said in a post on X early Thursday morning.
“The problem is, looking at the defense military industry of Russia, we see that they increase their production. And our estimation is that they want to continue this war. We think that if we have big pressure, the Russians will need a pause.
“But we have to recognize that they want a big war and prepare to be ready in 2029 or 2030 – in this period of time – to begin such a big war. On the European continent. We look at this like a really big challenge.
“I think that we have to think about how to stop them now in Ukraine. But also to do everything to decrease their capabilities. Not to give them money, which they still can get from energy. And not to give them weapons. So, this is the problem we have to think about.”
Zelensky’s post reiterates Kyiv’s calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, especially its energy exports which fund Moscow’s war machine. The European Parliament has proposed accelerating the full ban on Russian fossil fuel imports to take effect by January 1 2027.
The Ukrainian president’s comments also echo warnings by European leaders that Moscow may be preparing for a large-scale war in Europe by the end of the decade. These fears are a focus for NATO members who have boosted defense spending pledges to five percent of GDP.
The threat posed by Moscow has also informed the European Commission’s “Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030” which calls for a robust defense posture from the continent.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
