Zelenskyy: If Russia destroys Ukraine, this will kickstart Third World War
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — FRIDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2022, 23:16
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that if Russia succeeds in destroying Ukraine, this will kickstart the Third World War.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the BBC
Asked how the war will end, Zelenskyy said: "Victory. I have no doubts. Our victory. I understand that it is difficult, no one can tell whether it will be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, no one can tell the day or the month, but I believe in this victory.
[It will be] either the victory of Ukraine or the defeat of the whole world. Because making it possible to destroy Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, if Russia does it, it will be the beginning of a great world tragedy. I think it will be the start of World War III because we know of those autocracies in the world who might think that such actions are permissible. I believe that this will be a very scary signal to the world."
Details: Asked whether President Putin could survive in an eventual Ukrainian victory in the war, Zelenskyy answered: "I don't care."
Commenting on US President Joe Biden's statement about a possible "Armageddon" in the event of Russia using nuclear weapons, the President said: "I agree that this is ‘Armageddon’, it’s a risk for the whole planet. But why should we be wondering whether it will happen or not, when Russia has already taken a step, it has seized our nuclear power plant [referring to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe's largest nuclear station, which President Putin is trying to turn into Russian property – ed.]."
The President said that Ukraine does not know whether the Russians have planted explosives at the ZNPP.
Quote: "It is dangerous when we are dealing with people who have set some goal for themselves, and we do not fully know what the goal of the modern Russian military and political authorities is.
Is it the destruction of Ukraine, the occupation of Ukraine? You and I do not know exactly. This could be the first step towards some other ambitious goal, it could be the idea of finally capturing Ukraine. I think it is the first step and it is very dangerous.
If this goal is exactly what we think it is, if the goal is to regain the influence that [Russia enjoyed - ed.] at least during the Soviet era; for Russia to return to such a table of geopolitical influence and redistribution of borders, then this is a big risk, they will go ahead and use all possible steps."
More details: At the same time, Zelenskyy called the risks of Russia's use of nuclear weapons "not as definite as some experts say", because "Russia's people in power like life". However, in his view, "the risk of using nuclear weapons cannot be ruled out."
The President also believes that there may be a risky response from the Russian side to his statement regarding the possibility of them using nuclear weapons.
"If I say, for instance, that they are incapable of using nuclear weapons, then someone who is not sensible and who holds such power in their hands can, to be contrary, show everyone, you say that I cannot do it? Look, I can. And [they may] use them. If I say that they are capable of using them [nuclear weapons], this may cause panic in many countries, including Ukraine. I would not risk making such official conclusions today," the President said.
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