Zelensky says Putin could cause WW3 if US does not continue support for Ukraine after already plowing $70bn into nation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he believes World War III could become a reality if the US does not continue to support Ukraine, as it has already contributed about $70 billion to the effort.

Speaking 60 minutes On Sunday evening, Zelensky compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler.

“The whole world (must) decide whether we want to stop Putin, or whether we want to start a world war. We cannot change Putin. Russian society has (lost) the respect of the world,” Zelensky said.

‘They elected him and re-elected him and created a second Hitler. They did this. We can’t go back in time. But we can stop it here.’

Zelenskiy is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill this week during his visit to the US during the United Nations General Assembly.

The Ukrainian president made a wartime visit to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned speech at a joint meeting of Congress.

Zelenskyy will visit the White House and Capitol Hill this week during his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly. He is pictured there in December

At the time, it was his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February 2022.

He is expected to advocate for continued US support for his war-torn country.

‘We defend the values ​​of the whole world. And these are the Ukrainian people who pay the highest price. We are really fighting for our freedom, we are dying. We are not fiction, we are not a book. We are really fighting against a nuclear state that threatens to destroy the world,” Zelensky said CBS News.

‘If Ukraine falls, what will happen in ten years? Just think about it. If (the Russians) reach Poland, what’s next? A Third World War?’ he asked.

‘If Ukraine falls, what will happen in ten years? Just think about it. If (the Russians) reach Poland, what’s next? A Third World War?’ Zelensky asked.

The US has already contributed about $70 billion, while Congress is now divided over whether to funnel more money to the war effort. Joe Biden walked with Zelensky last December

This time, however, Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding to Ukraine as the war is well into its second year.

Biden has asked for a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion in humanitarian aid. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through the World Bank.

But conservative Republican lawmakers have pushed for broad cuts in federal spending, and some of those allied with Donald Trump, the former president, specifically want to stem the flow of money to Ukraine.

Given the $70 billion the US has already sent to Ukraine, Zelensky was asked whether he expected this level of support to continue.

“The United States of America is supporting Ukraine financially and I am grateful for this,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky noted that he did not receive military assistance quickly enough, but is grateful for President Biden’s support.

Zelensky compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler. Putin is seen meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, left, last week

Hitler is seen with his bodyguards at a Nazi Party meeting in Bad Harzburg in 1931

‘I just don’t think they only support Ukraine. If Ukraine falls, Putin will certainly go further. What will the United States of America do if Putin reaches the Baltic states? When he reaches the Polish border? He will. This is a lot of money. We have a lot of gratitude. What more does Ukraine need to do so that everyone can measure our immense gratitude? We die in this war.’

When asked how much more money Ukraine would need, Zelensky could not give a figure.

“I have no answer,” Zelensky said, noting that Putin will continue to threaten the possibility that nuclear war will fuel instability in the United States and Europe.

“I think he will continue to threaten,” Zelensky said. ‘He’s waiting for the United States to become less stable. He thinks this will happen during the US elections. He looks for the instability in Europe and the United States of America. He will use the risk of using nuclear weapons to fuel that (instability). He will continue to threaten.’

During the interview on Sunday evening, Zelenskiy admitted how slow progress had been in the Ukrainian counter-offensive, but emphasized that troops were making steady progress, with around 40,000 shells fired by Ukrainian forces per day.

‘It’s a difficult situation. I’ll be completely honest with you. We have the initiative. This is a plus. We stopped the Russian offensive and launched a counter-offensive. And despite that, it’s not very fast. It is important that we make progress and liberate territory every day.

“We must liberate our territory as much as possible and move forward, even if it is less than half a mile or a hundred meters, we must do it,” Zelensky continued. ‘We cannot give Putin any rest.’

Zelensky was asked what he thought Putin was trying to achieve by killing civilians in the country.

‘To break (us). And by choosing civilian targets, Putin wanted to achieve exactly this: break (us). This person who took such bloody actions, with everything he said, cannot be trusted. There is no trust in such a person because he has not been human for a long time,” Zelensky said.