A former top US Army general has warned Vladimir Putin’s threats to bring a new war to Europe must be taken seriously.
General David Petraeus said the Russian dictator “won’t be satisfied to stop with Ukraine.”
Petraeus, who served in the forces for four decades, said Ukraine’s allies in the West must do more to help win the war against Putin.
He added that the Baltic states would be the Russian leader’s next target.
General David Petraeus was speaking about where Russia’s next target would be
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He told The Sun: “The Ukraine war could expand in the region if Putin succeeds in Ukraine. He wouldn’t be satisfied to stop with Ukraine. Moldova clearly would be next. After that it might be Lithuania or one of the other Baltic states.
“He’s been very clear and I think it’s also clear in hindsight that we should listen to this individual. He tells us what he believes.”
US President Joe Biden said if Putin succeeds in his war with Ukraine, he would not stop there.
Speaking on a state visit to France, President Biden said: “It’s about much more than Ukraine. All of Europe will be threatened, but we’re not going to let that happen…the United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We’re standing with our allies. And we’re standing with France.”
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Biden said the US stands with France
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Lithuania has been vocal about its support for Ukraine’s right to strike targets inside Russia.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said: “The way to react to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and also in our countries, is to support Ukraine, is to allow Ukraine to use the weapons that they already have, the way that they need use them.
“That is how you manage escalation… this is how you stop Russia.”
Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics said: “If Russia feels it has won in Ukraine the temptation will be for it to continue… if it feels it was defeated, the desire will be for revenge.”
King Charles III meeting President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics
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Meanwhile, two civilians were killed in Ukrainian attacks on Russian-controlled areas of eastern and southern Ukraine, according to Moscow installed officials.
One man was killed and a woman wounded by artillery fire that hit the town of Nova Maiachka in the southern Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, its pro-Russian governor, wrote on Telegram.
Another man was killed in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine by an explosive dropped from a drone, according to Alexei Kulemzin, the city’s Russian-installed mayor.
The claims could not be verified independently.