The Ukrainian president has said that Kyiv has reliable intelligence indicating Russia plans to send troops to Belarus this summer, warning that Moscow could use Minsk as a military launchpad to destabilize the EU.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Belarus, which he described as a country that Russian President Vladimir Putin views as “just another Russian province,” could be used to “stir up chaos in Europe.”
“We have clear intel that this summer Russia plans to send troops to Belarus under the pretext of training exercises,” he said, adding that this is “exactly how Russia staged forces before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.”
“Is this Russian force in Belarus meant to attack Ukraine? Maybe. Or maybe not. Or maybe it’s meant for you,” he said, referring to the EU.
“Let me remind you, Belarus borders three NATO countries,” Zelenskyy continued, adding that Minsk has already been used by Russia to provoke tensions on the Polish and Lithuanian borders.
Since 2021, the two EU and NATO member states have been grappling with a migrant crisis, which they attribute to Belarus and its ally Russia. They accuse both nations of amassing people from the Middle East and Africa along Poland and Lithuania's eastern borders.
“What if next time it’s not migrants, but Russian troops or North Korean troops?” Zelenskyy said, adding, “We need to be realistic. If someone is setting up a military launchpad, we need to ask: what should we do about it? And more importantly, what can we do before the next attack, the next invasion?”
Addressing EU leaders, he asked whether their armies would be ready if Moscow launched an open or “false-flag” attack.
The latter is designed to look like it was perpetrated by someone other than the group responsible for it.
“We have clear intel that this summer Russia plans to send troops to Belarus under the pretext of training exercises,” he said, adding that this is “exactly how Russia staged forces before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.”
“Is this Russian force in Belarus meant to attack Ukraine? Maybe. Or maybe not. Or maybe it’s meant for you,” he said, referring to the EU.
“Let me remind you, Belarus borders three NATO countries,” Zelenskyy continued, adding that Minsk has already been used by Russia to provoke tensions on the Polish and Lithuanian borders.
Since 2021, the two EU and NATO member states have been grappling with a migrant crisis, which they attribute to Belarus and its ally Russia. They accuse both nations of amassing people from the Middle East and Africa along Poland and Lithuania's eastern borders.
“What if next time it’s not migrants, but Russian troops or North Korean troops?” Zelenskyy said, adding, “We need to be realistic. If someone is setting up a military launchpad, we need to ask: what should we do about it? And more importantly, what can we do before the next attack, the next invasion?”
Addressing EU leaders, he asked whether their armies would be ready if Moscow launched an open or “false-flag” attack.
The latter is designed to look like it was perpetrated by someone other than the group responsible for it.
A European army ‘must be created’
The Ukrainian president also urged the EU to shoulder greater responsibility for its own defense, saying: “Let’s be honest, we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it.”
“I really believe that time has come that the Armed Forces of Europe must be created”, he said, adding that such a military force is crucial to ensuring that “Europe’s future depends only on Europeans and decisions about Europe are made in Europe.”
European nations cooperate militarily primarily within NATO but governments have so far rejected various calls for the creation of a single European army over the years, arguing that defense is a matter of national sovereignty.
But, Zelenskyy argued that Europe building up military strength would be good not only for security but also for the continent’s economy.
He said: “This isn’t just about stockpiling weapons, it’s about jobs, technological leadership and economic trends for Europe.
“Europe has everything it takes, Europe just needs to come together and start acting in a way that no one can say no to Europe or boss it around.”
Zelenskyy also reiterated that Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached with Russia behind its back or without Kyiv’s involvement, adding that the “same rule should apply to all of Europe.”
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