Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that he believes Russia will launch an offensive against NATO if the United States reduces its support for Ukraine. He cited intelligence that indicates Russian leader Vladimir Putin is amassing troops in preparation for a potential invasion of another European nation.

During an extensive interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Zelenskyy shared these concerns ahead of an urgent summit in Paris, where European leaders planned to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and peace negotiations between US and Russian officials scheduled to occur in Saudi Arabia.

“It could transpire this summer, perhaps early or late in the season. I’m uncertain about the timing of his preparations,” Zelenskyy remarked. “But it’s inevitable. At that point, considering his failure to occupy us, we can only speculate on his next moves.”

Zelenskyy suggested that Poland and Lithuania may be among Putin’s next targets, recalling their occupations during World War II by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. He expressed concern that “[Putin] will wage war against NATO,” referring to the military alliance more commonly known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Zelenskyy also mentioned that he had seen documents indicating that Putin was planning to train 150,000 troops in Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, and that he had communicated this intelligence with allied nations.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian president aims to portray these actions as mere training exercises. “He wants to present it as just ongoing drills in Belarus,” Zelenskyy explained.

“However, this is not the truth,” he continued. “Such tactics were the precursor to the invasion three years ago. The full-scale invasion began with symbolic training exercises, with missiles launched from Belarus on the first night.”

Zelenskyy expressed confidence in Donald Trump’s ability to engage in negotiations with Russia if he assumes the presidency again in January. Nonetheless, he emphasized that Ukraine must be included in any peace talks and expressed disappointment over recent statements from US officials, such as Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, which criticized European leaders, and Trump’s remark implying that Ukraine “might belong to Russia someday.”

In a recent exclusive interview with the Guardian, Zelenskyy reiterated that Europe cannot ensure Ukraine’s security without the United States’ assistance. He reaffirmed this point during his Meet the Press appearance.

“There is no leader globally who can negotiate on behalf of us with Putin without our involvement,” he stated, speaking in English.

“While the US may pursue various economic partnerships with Russia, they cannot address this conflict without including us.”

“There have been comments that have disappointed many European leaders, as they sometimes feel sidelined in decision-making.”

“They need to remain united with the US; otherwise, not only could the US lose Europe as a strategic partner, but Europe could also lose the US.”

His remarks echo the rising concerns among European officials regarding the US’s wavering support for Ukraine and Trump’s recent friendly overtures toward Putin, which many interpret as a major concession.

Prior to Vance’s contentious speech at the Munich Security Conference, leaders from Britain, France, and Germany asserted that lasting peace in Ukraine necessitates their involvement in negotiations.

Following this, some, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, criticized Vance for questioning the future of the long-standing alliance between the US and Europe. Scholz accused the US of “unacceptable interference” in its upcoming elections, following praise for the far-right nationalist AfD party from Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, who has been described as Trump’s “special government employee.”

Zelenskyy, who on Saturday at Munich called for the establishment of a European armed forces, warned NBC that any reduction in US support for Europe or NATO would give Putin room to advance his territorial ambitions.

“What is he anticipating? A decrease in NATO strength due to a potential withdrawal of US military presence from Europe?” he questioned.

“Yes, Putin is counting on that. However, I trust that the US will not withdraw its military forces from Europe, as it would drastically weaken NATO and the entire European region. Putin clearly relies on the idea that he can invade former Soviet territories.”

“The likelihood of Russia attempting to occupy Europe is alarmingly high; it might not involve all of Europe initially, but they would target our allies, particularly smaller nations that were once part of the USSR. It’s important to remember that these countries are now NATO members.”