Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may expand the war beyond Ukraine. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of sending drones into European airspace to test Nato’s defences.
Speaking in Kyiv after meeting US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy said, “Putin will not wait to finish his war in Ukraine. He will open up some other direction. Nobody knows where. He wants that.”
Zelenskyy said recent drone and air incursions were deliberate probes by Russia to see how Europe would respond. Drones were spotted over Denmark, Poland, and Romania, while Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace. More drones were reportedly seen near a Danish military base on Friday night and a Norwegian base on Saturday.
Earlier this month, Ukraine reported 92 drones flying towards Poland in a coordinated formation. Ukrainian forces intercepted most of them, but 19 drones crossed into Polish territory, where four were shot down. Zelenskyy suggested that European countries were struggling to respond to these attacks. He added that representatives from several nations would come to Ukraine for practical training on defending against Russian aerial strikes. “We are ready to share our experience,” he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine’s military is actively fighting, unlike some European countries. “I am not comparing our forces. We are at war and they [Poland] are not,” he said.
Talking about his meeting with Donald Trump, Zelenskyy described the discussion as “very nice” and said he had briefed the US president on the battlefield situation. Trump said he believed Ukraine could reclaim all territories lost since 2022 with support from Europe and Nato. He also described Russia’s economy as struggling and its military as a “paper tiger.”
Zelenskyy called Russia’s advances on the battlefield “temporary presence” and declined to comment on reports that Ukraine had requested US Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking Moscow, calling it “a sensitive issue.”
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
