Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing new military operations on European territory, citing fresh intelligence more than three years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
In a statement released via social media platform X, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine is now working on “joint decisions for defence” with both the United Kingdom and the European Union, amid growing fears that the conflict could widen beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“We will keep our partners informed of the facts obtained by our intelligence services,” Zelenskyy said, without elaborating on the specific nature or timing of Russia’s alleged plans.
The Ukrainian leader also took aim at the Kremlin’s inner circle, describing what he called a “continued intellectual decline within the Russian leadership.” He added that Western sanctions were having a tangible effect, saying they had “tangibly damaged” Russia’s economy and remained one of the most effective levers of pressure on Moscow.
His comments follow a major escalation in rhetoric from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who just hours earlier addressed a business audience at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he reasserted Russia’s claim to all of Ukraine, and threatened nuclear consequences if provoked.
“I have said many times that I consider the Russian and Ukrainian people to be one nation. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” Putin declared.
He issued a stark warning that if Ukraine were to use a so-called “dirty bomb”, the response from Russia would be “very tough”, calling such an act a “colossal mistake” with potentially “catastrophic” consequences.
“It could be their last mistake,” Putin said. “We always respond and respond in kind.”
These threats mark the first time in months that Putin has raised the prospect of nuclear retaliation, and they come at a time when global powers are struggling to find diplomatic off-ramps to de-escalate the war.
Despite the sabre-rattling from Moscow, U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently spoke with Putin in a two-hour phone call, struck a more optimistic tone. Trump said the conversation went “very well”, and claimed that both Russia and Ukraine were “ready to begin immediate negotiations toward a ceasefire.”
The statement has drawn cautious responses from European allies, particularly as Putin’s words appear to contradict any immediate willingness for peace.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, announced new proposals aimed at cutting off Russia’s war funding. He called for stronger caps on Russian crude oil prices, and reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily and economically.
Starmer also pushed back on reports that a UK- and France-led initiative to form a “coalition of the willing” to send peacekeeping forces into Ukraine had stalled.
“We’re not backing down,” he said. “We’re stepping up.”
With nuclear threats resurfacing and intelligence pointing to potential new military operations beyond Ukraine, officials across Europe are now weighing the possibility that Russia’s war could be entering a broader and more dangerous phase, one that tests the unity, resolve, and preparedness of NATO and its allies.
