Ukrainian president warns: Baltics may be next

  • 2015-08-05
  • By AFP/BNS/TBT staff

RIGA - On August 3, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told the AFP news service he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to invade ”the whole of Europe,” and outlined the Baltic States and Finland as potential next targets.
“Putin wants to go as far as we allow him,” said Poroshenko in an interview with French radio station RFI. “Not only with Ukraine, but the whole of Europe.”

“If you had asked me two years ago, I would have said this situation was impossible because the whole post-war security system couldn’t have allowed it,” AFP quoted the Ukrainian leader as saying.
“But if you ask me today, unfortunately everything is possible as a result of the annexation of Crimea and East Ukraine.
“It shows the global security system can be broken,” continued Poroshenko.
“Is an attack on the Baltic States possible? Yes. Is an attack on Finland possible? Yes, and Finland knows that.”
Poroshenko also described the ongoing struggle between the Ukrainian Army and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country as a struggle for European safety.

“When we are talking about the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, we’re fighting not only for our independence and sovereignty, but we are fighting for democracy.
“We are also fighting for the freedom and the security of the whole European continent.”
The Russian Federation annexed Crimea in March 2014. Moscow has also repeatedly denied deploying troops in East Ukraine, despite accusations from the international community.

Currently the Ukrainian government is seeking to implement a ceasefire agreement with Russia backed separatists in East Ukraine.