Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would spread the conflict across Europe and could even provoke a third world war, the Ukrainian government minister warned.
Yulia Laputina, the minister for veterans’ affairs, who previously served as a senior Ukrainian intelligence officer, told Sky News that her country is ready to defend itself if Moscow launches a new attack.
However, she noted that the subsequent military actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be controlled within the borders of Ukraine.
“If Russia invades Ukraine, you have to take care of the Balkans.”
What the Russians are doing now in Serbia are trying to provoke the situation in the Balkans. “We also need to be mindful of the possible start of World War III,” she said.
When asked if there is a chance that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will lead to World War III, the minister replied: “Yes. Because geopolitically, this seems like a possible scenario. Therefore, we must pay attention to the Ukrainian issue from the point of view of the security of the continent.”
The minister, who rose to the rank of major general in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said most of the 400,000 veterans in her homeland – between the ages of 20 and about 60 – would be ready to fight again if needed.
Many were young volunteers who joined the ranks to defend their country when Russian-backed separatists seized territory in the east and Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
When asked if she believes that Ukraine will be able to withstand a larger invasion by its much more powerful neighbor, Major General Laputina replied: “I think we will resist, because even in the event of a real military invasion, the first step … maybe successful for the aggressors. But the next step will not be successful because we have a lot of experience of national resistance.”