Russian Victory Could Lead to World War III: Kyiv

A Russian victory in Ukraine could lead to World War III, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

Should Kyiv be defeated in the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022, "the global system of security will be destroyed... and all the world will need to find... a new system of security," Shmyhal said in an interview Wednesday with the BBC in Washington, D.C.

"Or, there will be many conflicts, many such kinds of wars, and in the end of the day, it could lead to the Third World War," he added.

The Context

Kremlin propagandists have also routinely warned of a looming world war.

Ties between Washington and Moscow have become increasingly strained over Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, and state TV guests have accused the United States of instigating a new world war in coordination with members of the NATO military alliance.

What We Know

Shmyhal issued his warning as he urged the U.S. to pass a long-stalled aid package that would provide Ukraine with $61 billion in assistance in the ongoing war as ammunition and equipment supplies run low. The bill includes weapons and other "lethal assistance" for Kyiv's troops.

"We need this money yesterday, not tomorrow, not today," the Ukrainian prime minister said. "We need this support immediately...because the situation on the front line is difficult enough. We need this support from our biggest partner, from the United States."

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he "strongly supports" the aid package, which is set for a vote on Saturday, saying it will "send a message to the world."

Views

Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have warned of a looming world war.

Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that if Kyiv were to be defeated by Russia, Putin could then invade NATO member Poland, potentially leading to World War III, the BBC reported.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned last April that the likelihood of nuclear weapons being used was growing by the day.

He previously invoked the possibility of nuclear war should Russia be defeated in Ukraine.

"Defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war," Medvedev said in a Telegram post in January 2023, discussing NATO support for Ukraine's military.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also warned earlier this month that the possibility of a wider war breaking out in Europe "is no longer a concept from the past."

"It's real, and it started over two years ago," he said in remarks to several European news publications, which were reported by the BBC.

Poland has been forced to scramble its fighter jets on multiple occasions throughout the war to protect its airspace amid Russian missile and drone attacks on neighboring Ukraine.

What's Next?

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, has warned that Russia could be gearing up for a war with the NATO military alliance. It said last month that a new military decree from Putin that reestablished the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts indicate he is preparing for a potential conflict with NATO.

Newsweek has contacted NATO for comment via email.

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Update 4/18/24, 6:17 a.m. E.T.: This article has been updated with more context.