Ukraine President says 'all-out war' with Russia is 'a possibility': Report

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia that they have not given up on the option of an all-out war with Russia. Speaking at the Yalta security forum in Kyiv on Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a military operation between the two countries was a "palpable possibility". Zelensky further mentioned that an "all out war" would be the biggest mistake on Russia's part, reported The Independent. 

Zelensky warned that the tensions between the two countries have risen to such an extent that they may not be in a position to return from danger. Furthermore, the Ukrainian President mentioned that the tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been escalating to such a level that a "precipice" was emerging between the two neighbouring countries. Putin is of the view that "Ukraine is not a fully sovereign state". Ukrainian President responded to the view of the Russian president, by arguing that the respect for national sovereignty worked in a reciprocal manner. 

Russia Ukraine Conflict

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been referred to as an “undeclared war” in the past, has been going on for the past seven years. It started when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. The conflict later extended to Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, where Ukrainian troops were engaged in a fight with Russian-backed separatists. Last year, Russia reportedly sent approximately 100,000 troops to Ukraine’s eastern and southern borders. Earlier in August, Zelensky accused Russia of turning Crimea into a “military base” and “a foothold for Russia to boost its influence on the Black Sea region", according to The Associated Press.

Zelensky visit to the US

Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited US president Joe Biden, where Biden highlighted the fact that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine will get support from the United States against the aggressiveness of Russia. Through Twitter, Biden emphasised the purpose of the meeting. Following the visit between US President Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House published a Joint Statement on the US-Ukraine Strategic Alliance. The statement announced that the aggressiveness of Russia has led to the fighting in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea as well as killing over 14,000 Ukrainians, destabilised Europe and the Black Sea area, and jeopardised the global rules-based system.

Image: AP

Inputs from AP