Putin won't get a chance to launch another occupation — Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a rapid end to Russia’s war against Ukraine without security guarantees could give the Kremlin the opportunity to attack other countries in the future. He emphasized that Russia is already attempting to destabilize the region in various ways.
During a joint press conference with leaders of Northern European and Baltic countries in Tallinn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia’s war against Ukraine has consequences that extend far beyond the borders of a single state, and that any resolution must take into account the security situation across the entire region.
According to him, if a way is found to stop the fighting as soon as possible but without clear security guarantees, this could leave Russia room for new aggression against other countries in the future. He emphasized that this is not just about Ukraine, but about the stability of all of Europe. “When we talk about negotiations, we must talk about security for the region. If we find a way to stop this war as soon as possible, then, of course, Putin will have no chance to occupy another country,” Zelenskyy said.
The president also stressed that, in his view, Russia is deliberately trying to destabilize the situation in Europe by using various tools of influence, including pressure through third countries and conflict-ridden regions. He cited examples of when Belarusian territory was used to exert pressure on the borders of European states, as well as attempts to destabilize Moldova through Transnistria. “They used Belarusian territory (…) to put pressure on Poland’s borders. This is important for us in the region. Poland is a strong ally of ours, but they used this situation to exert pressure and tried to present it as if it were due to support for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy noted.
He added that Russia is not interested in regional stability and is acting in the opposite way—creating new flashpoints to maintain chaos and influence. According to him, this demonstrates the need to strengthen cooperation among allied countries, particularly in the areas of defense and cybersecurity. “We must strengthen our relations not only through drones; it is important to be resilient against any cyberattacks, and we are ready to share this expertise because we have weathered all these challenges,” the President of Ukraine concluded. The Ukrainian leader made these remarks at a joint press conference with the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries in Tallinn.
A series of diplomatic appeals to international leaders and institutions, along with an open letter to Putin, yielded the desired result.
