Ukraine Warns Other Countries of Its Fate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Russian attack on his country was just the beginning, pointing out that Moscow has ambitions to control other nations. Zelensky's warning came after a Russian general stated that Russia seeks to extend its control over southern Ukraine. Lieutenant General Rustam Minnekaev, acting commander of the Central Military District, informed members of a defense industry forum on Friday that the goal of the new Russian offensive is to seize southern Ukraine to create a land corridor extending to the Crimean Peninsula, which is interpreted as a bid for permanent Russian control over the region. The Russian general indicated that controlling southern Ukraine would allow Russia to access the breakaway Transnistria region on the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. In a video posted late Friday night, Zelensky stated, "All countries that believe in the triumph of life over death must stand by us... They must help us." He emphasized that his country was the first target of Russian ambitions, questioning which other countries would be next after Ukraine. Kyiv and other Western entities have repeatedly asserted that the Russian attack may not stop at Ukraine's borders, a claim that Moscow has denied.