Europe on excessive alert as 4 extra international locations could possibly be subsequent on ‘harmful’ Putin’s hitlist
Vladimir Putin could launch invasions on four European countries once he’s finished with Ukraine, an expert has warned.
Defence and security expert Nicholas Drummond believes that the Russian president harbours lofty ambitions of restoring the Russian empire. It spells trouble for European countries who could end up on the despot’s hit list once he is finished with his invasion of Ukraine, which has been blazing since February 2022.
Drummond told Daily Express that the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once occupied as part of the USSR, could once again come under attack. Moldova, and even African nations could be at risk of becoming a Kremlin target once again.
READ MORE: Vladimir Putin has ‘kind of won’ war in Ukraine and it’s all down to Trump, says expert
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He said: “Putin is a dangerous guy, a very dangerous guy and he wants Russia to be a superpower again.
“I don’t think he will go for the Baltic states, but he could do. There are NATO troops in the Baltics so that would immediately spark an Article 5 event (the NATO clause that considers an attack on one member nation to be an attack on all). This would dramatically escalate things.
“Moldova, he might try something there. He may also decide to do something in Africa, seizing territory there or something like that.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Although Drummond believes Russia won’t shift gears in the short term while it continues to pump resources into his Ukraine war efforts, Moldovan politicians have raised concerns that Russia could try to seize control of Transnistria, a breakaway state internationally recognised as Moldova where the government has requested annexation by Russia.
Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popșoi said in March that Russia is not likely to attack “thanks to the sacrifice of the brave Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian army”, but added: “We are safe, although safe could be a strong word given the frontlines are just 200 kilometres away.”
Meanwhile, Baltic state governments urged fellow NATO members to “wake up” to the threat of future invasions, and have begun to teach citizens how to fight amid fear of a Russian attack.
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