Zelensky Warns Up to 20 Million More People Could Leave Ukraine if Russia Wins
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists at an EU leaders' summit in Brussels that up to 20 million Ukrainians could head to Europe if Russia wins the war. More than four million Ukrainian citizens currently have temporary protection in EU countries.
Up to 20 million Ukrainians could move to Europe if Russia wins its war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 16 October. He was speaking to journalists at a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels. The warning comes ahead of the fifth winter of the full-scale war and points to the scale of the migration crisis Europe could face if the conflict ended in Moscow's favour.
According to the president, Russian shelling is forcing people to leave the country, while Moscow shows no readiness to stop the war. He stressed that Russia is killing Ukrainians, that they are being "squeezed out" of their own country and that Russia "does not want to stop". The remarks were quoted by the outlet Politico.
Refugee crisis in Europe
Politico recalls that at the start of the full-scale invasion, millions of Ukrainians were forced to go abroad. This caused the largest and fastest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Data from Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, show that more than four million Ukrainian citizens are currently under temporary protection in EU countries.
A harsh winter ahead
Zelensky's warning comes before the fifth winter of the full-scale war, which is forecast to be especially severe because of Russian bombing.
Timeline of the war
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has continued since 24 February 2022. The war launched by Russia against Ukraine has lasted since 2014, when Russia occupied Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and began military action in Donbas.
