Russia is certain to launch another attack if a “compromise peace” is reached without security guarantees, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response to an LB.ua correspondent’s question in Munich.
According to him, Ukraine has obtained information about Russia’s plans for Belarus. This year, Russia will form 15 divisions to train and strengthen its military presence in the Belarusian direction.
“We believe they will all be stationed in Belarus, at least partially. It will be, I don’t know, 100,000–150,000 troops. This is a significant force. I’m not certain that this group will attack Ukraine. Maybe they will, but they will go on the offensive somewhere. I am not trying to scare anyone. They could move towards Ukraine, as in 2022, or towards Poland or the Baltic states,” he said.
Zelenskyy believes that Putin is preparing for a war with NATO next year. That is why security guarantees for Ukraine are essential - whether through NATO membership or by strengthening and equipping the Ukrainian army.
- Discussions about a possible Russian attack on NATO countries have surfaced before, with several European leaders calling for preparations.
- In 2022, the Russian army invaded Ukrainian territory, including from Belarus. Alyaksandr Lukashenka also allowed Russian forces to launch attacks against Ukraine from Belarusian territory.