Ukrainian President warns that Moscow’s expanding arms production signals a looming large‑scale conflict on the continent within five years

In a stark warning to the West, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military‑industrial apparatus are not preparing merely for continued fighting in Ukraine, but for “a big war” across Europe in the coming years. According to Zelenskyy, Moscow’s accelerating arms‑output, deepening defence‑industry ties, and probing of neighbouring air‑and‑sea spaces signal a strategy that goes well beyond the immediate battlefield.

Zelenskyy has asserted that the current frontline clash with Russia is in effect the opening act, not the main event. He has emphasized that Russia shows no indication of slowing its military expansion. Ukrainian intelligence notes rapid growth in Russia’s production of drones, missiles, artillery, and armored vehicles.

Rising Threat, Shifting Focus
Zelenskyy’s warning comes as European governments increasingly acknowledge that the Kremlin may be laying the foundations for a broader confrontation. Surveillance flights, cyberattacks, and naval maneuvers around Europe have intensified, serving as tests of NATO’s readiness.

Kyiv’s assessment is that Russia may try to open a second front against another European nation even before the conflict in Ukraine concludes. Analysts caution that such hybrid operations—disinformation, sabotage, covert military pressure—are often precursors to conventional escalation.

What It Means for Europe
If Zelenskyy’s estimate is accurate, Europe faces a period of heightened vulnerability over the next several years. European states have begun boosting defense budgets, reestablishing stockpiles, and strengthening joint production lines, but many analysts argue the pace still lags behind Russia’s mobilization.

Zelenskyy continues urging Europe and the United States to increase military and economic pressure on Moscow now, arguing that delay only strengthens the Kremlin’s long‑term position.

Moscow’s Perspective
The Kremlin maintains that its actions are defensive, but its military expansion suggests otherwise. Russia’s defense sector has shifted to a long‑term wartime footing, with factories operating around the clock and partnerships deepening with other authoritarian states.

Russian officials have increasingly framed their struggle as a civilizational conflict with the West—messaging that Ukrainian officials believe signals broader ambitions extending beyond Ukraine’s borders.

The Stakes for the West
For NATO and the EU, Zelenskyy’s warnings serve as a call to reinforce deterrence and support Ukraine’s defense. Failing to do so, he argues, risks allowing Russia to rebuild enough military strength to challenge Europe more directly.

As Europe heads deeper into a period of uncertainty, one message from Kyiv remains consistent: the war in Ukraine may not be the end—but the beginning—of a larger test for the continent.