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🇺🇦🇷🇺 ZELENSKYY WARNS EUROPE: RUSSIA IS BUILDING AN ARMY THE CONTINENT IS NOT READY TO FIGHT Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a stark warning at the Hudson Institute: Europe cannot assume that Russia’s military ambitions will end at Ukraine’s borders. According to the Ukrainian president, Russia already has an army of approximately two million personnel and intends to recruit another 300,000. He warned that not all of those additional forces are necessarily intended for the war in Ukraine. “No country in Europe has an army ready for such a fight. I’m not talking about people, I’m talking about armies.” That is why Zelenskyy argues that Ukraine should become part of NATO’s eastern flank. After years of fighting Russia, Ukraine has accumulated battlefield experience that he believes would strengthen Europe’s collective defence. He also warned that Russia is already conducting hybrid warfare against European countries, pointing to drone incidents involving Romania, Poland, Moldova, Bulgaria and Germany. He cited an October 23 attack on a commercial vessel near Romania in the Black Sea as another example of the threat extending beyond Ukraine. But his warning was not limited to Russian troops. Zelenskyy claimed that Russia produces approximately 140 ballistic missiles every month and has accumulated a stockpile of around 700. He said roughly 70% of the components used in those missiles originate abroad, including from companies in Asia, Europe and the United States. If those figures are accurate, they raise serious questions about the effectiveness of export controls and the international supply chains supporting Russia’s weapons production. Then he turned to the human consequences. Zelenskyy estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed during Russia’s assault and occupation of Mariupol, while approximately 20,000 Ukrainian children have been deported or forcibly transferred to Russia. He also described how displacement has left millions of Ukrainians living outside their homeland. He welcomed the return of 270 Ukrainians from Russian captivity but insisted that a comprehensive prisoner exchange remains essential. Some Ukrainians, he noted, have been imprisoned since Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014. His broader argument was directed at European governments that still regard Russia primarily as Ukraine’s problem. Zelenskyy believes that assumption is dangerous. In his assessment, Russia is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with Europe, while too many European countries remain militarily unprepared. Ukraine’s president is asking NATO to recognize something he considers fundamental: defending Ukraine and defending Europe are increasingly inseparable strategic challenges.