Cliff Notes
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Vladimir Putin may attack a NATO country within five years to test the alliance, although he believes Putin is not currently ready for immediate action.
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Zelenskyy criticises NATO’s planned increase in defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 as "too slow," arguing that Putin could have significantly enhanced military capabilities by 2030.
- He expresses concern over ineffective sanctions and the ongoing conflict, indicating that dual-use components are still reaching Russia, undermining efforts to curb its military strength.
Zelenskyy says Putin could attack a NATO member ‘within five years’ to test alliance | World News
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Sky News that Vladimir Putin could attack a NATO country within five years to test the alliance.
The Ukrainian president made the comments in an interview with chief presenter Mark Austin.
But asked by Austin if Mr Putin could attack within months, Mr Zelenskyy said he did not “believe [Putin] is ready”.
Mr Zelenskyy also said plans for NATO members to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 are “very slow”.
“In my view, this is slow because we believe that starting from 2030, [Vladimir] Putin can have significantly greater capabilities.
“Today, Ukraine is holding him up, he has no time to drill the army.”
Russia’s soldiers are “all getting annihilated and wiped out at the battlefield”, he continued.
“In any case, [Putin] needs a pause, he needs sanctions to be lifted, he needs a drilled army.
“And 10 years is a very long time. He will have a new army ready [by then].”
The target, up from the current goal of 2% of GDP, will be formally signed off when the heads of state and government meet in The Hague on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Defence spending of 5% is the kind of level invested by NATO allies during the Cold War.
Zelenskyy met Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle at parliament on Monday, before travelling to Windsor Castle for a meeting with the King.
The Ukrainian president’s visit to the UK comes ahead of the two-day summit of NATO leaders in The Hague, where discussions about increased defence spending are top of the agenda.
You can watch the full interview on Sky News from 6am tomorrow
