Russian victory would lead to ‘third world war,’ Ukrainian PM warns

Two weeks after the United States passed its long-awaited foreign aid bill, Ukraine’s prime minister is warning that if his country falls to Russia, there will be a “third world war.”

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Rosemary Barton Live Friday that Russia likely will target Poland and Baltic countries if Ukraine loses the conflict. That, he said, would “lead to the need for NATO to come into this war.”

In the interview, Shmyhal called on the G7 and the European Union to work together to protect not only the Ukrainian people but also democratic values.

“We protect European values, European borders, and we protect borders of the civilized world,” Shmyhal said, adding that supporting Ukraine is necessary to “protect a global future.”

Shmyhal’s comments come a day after Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told a Chatham House event that a Russian victory in Ukraine “would be inaugurating a whole era of the decline of democracy, and the triumph of authoritarian regimes.”

Praising Canada’s support for his country, Shmyhal said Friday that Freeland is “the biggest friend of Ukraine.”

“We could communicate with her from the first minutes of the war, and we have real support from your country,” he said, noting that Canada has given more than $13 billion to Ukraine in the past two years.

Ottawa set aside $320 million in the recent budget for “the provision of lethal and non-lethal military aid” to Ukraine this year — part of a bilateral security assistance package signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv in February.

The federal government has earmarked $1.6 billion for military aid to Ukraine over the next five years.

C-19, the budget implementation bill, received royal assent in June 2022, allowing for the seizure and sale of assets owned by individuals and entities on Canada’s sanctions list, including wealthy Russian oligarchs and government officials.

It’s a move Shmyhal called an “exemplary model” for allies of Ukraine, and he applauded the U.S. for following suit.

On April 23, the U.S. Senate approved a $95 billion foreign aid package to support Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies following months of delay.

Shmyhal confirmed that Ukraine is set to receive $61 billion from the U.S. that will mainly go toward the military. While he said he’s grateful for the funding, Shmyhal said Ukraine still urgently needs missiles and ammunition for air defence systems, along with long-range and mid-range weapons to defend its cities.

He said he hopes the U.S. will decide this year how and where it will direct confiscated Russian assets, adding that Ukraine needs more than $486 billion to recover from the war.

Expectations of NATO

Ukraine is counting on NATO members to decide on the country’s application for membership at the next summit in Washington, D.C. in July, Shmyhal said.

Ukraine formally applied for NATO membership in September 2022, seven months after Russia’s invasion.

“Our army works according to the NATO standards,” Shmyhal said. “We implemented all needed reforms, and now we are a step before invitation.”

Asked whether Ukraine would welcome additional troops from NATO countries — something French President Emmanuel Macron suggested in a recent interview with The Economist — Shmyhal said reinforcements certainly would help push back the Russians. But for now, he said, Ukraine is asking its partners for military equipment.

“If the time comes, we will be absolutely grateful, and we will be glad,” he said.