World War III could already be underway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested on Wednesday.
“Nobody knows whether it may have already started,” the Ukrainian leader told NBC News’ Lester Holt. “And what is the possibility of this war if Ukraine will fall, in case Ukraine will fall? It’s very hard to say.”
The war, and the possible use of nuclear weapons, means “civilisation is at stake,” he added.
Watch the interview here:
Russia, with its brutal invasion of Ukraine, had “crossed all the red lines when they started shelling civilians,” Zelenskyy said in the interview that aired following his address to Congress.
“They have killed over 100 children and I don’t understand the meaning of red lines. What else should we wait for? Letting Russians kill 200 or 300 or 400 children?” he asked.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainians would remain defiant, though, even if their capital Kyiv was taken by Russian troops.
“Our people are unconquerable,” he said. “You can conquer the city, break the heart, but you won’t be able to force anybody to love someone. That is why the heart will always remain with Ukrainians.”