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Ukraine’s Zelensky warns of World War 3 risk as he seeks Western support against Russia
- Ukrainian president presses for continued Western support as conflict with Russia enters third year
- Zelensky warned that if Russia hit a Nato country, it would be ‘the beginning of the Third World War’
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced the danger of the Ukraine conflict escalating into World War 3, as he pressed his case for support from nations from Germany to the United States in an interview with German state broadcaster ARD on Sunday.
“It seems to me that the Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) is aware of this risk,” Zelensky said, adding that if Russia hit a Nato country, it would be “the beginning of the Third World War”.
Asked whether he was disappointed that Germany did not plan to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, Zelensky said he was only disappointed Germany had not played “the role it should have played in the first occupation of Ukraine”.
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Referring to the weakness of the West’s response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 that was a precursor for Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, he said it was not just about the German response.
“It’s not just about Olaf Scholz,” he said. “It concerns European leaders and the US.”
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In the US, Zelensky said Ukraine has support from across the political divide.
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