Category
Latest news

Zelenskyy: “Ukraine Is Holding Him Up,” Warns Putin Could Strike NATO by 2030

2 min read
Authors
Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko
Dariia Mykhailenko
Author
Zelenskyy: “Ukraine Is Holding Him Up,” Warns Putin Could Strike NATO by 2030
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 17, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Source: Getty Images)

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Vladimir Putin could possess significantly greater military capabilities by 2030, speaking during an interview with Sky News on June 24.

NATO’s current defense spending plans are moving “very slowly,” Zelenskyy noted calling on the Alliance to act urgently as Russia’s war against Ukraine enters one of its most critical phases.

“We believe that, starting from 2030, Putin can have significantly greater capabilities,” Zelenskyy stated. “Today, Ukraine is holding him up — he has no time to drill the army.”

The Ukrainian President stressed that delays in boosting military support could give Russia time to regroup, retrain, and rearm. He emphasized that Russian forces are suffering devastating losses on the battlefield, but warned that Vladimir Putin is actively seeking a pause in the fighting — not to negotiate peace, but to ease sanctions and prepare for a renewed offensive.

“In any case, Putin needs a pause, he needs sanctions to be lifted, he needs a drilled army,” Zelenskyy stated.

He also cautioned that growing instability in the Middle East could shift international focus and reduce aid to Ukraine, especially from key partners like the United States.

“Russia will feel the advantage on the battlefield,” he said, if that support begins to waver.

Additionally, Zelenskyy warned that Russia may target a NATO country within the next few years, though he does not believe the Kremlin is ready for such action in the immediate term.

He also addressed the evolving US–Russia dynamic, remarking that while the two countries “may be short-term partners,” they will never be genuine allies — especially under a potential second term for Donald Trump. “They will never be friends,” Zelenskyy said.

Reflecting on his own role in Ukraine’s wartime leadership, Zelenskyy said he may not be the best man to lead the country through the remainder of the war, but he is “the most experienced”

Earlier, a late-night Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Sumy region claimed the lives of three civilians, including an 8-year-old boy.

The attack took place shortly after midnight, when Russian forces launched drones at the village of Verkhnosyrovatka in northern Ukraine.

See all