The boast is said to have been used as a warning to former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Putin said he could have troops in Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Romania within 48 hours. Putin’s forces are currently in a quagmire after failing to secure the swift invasion of Ukraine he has been waiting for. In statements made in 2014, Putin claimed that he could have troops in the capitals of all six countries within two days, according to The Mirror. Read more: Putin warns he could have “boots on the ground” in six capitals in 48 hours The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that the Russian president told Poroshenko, who was succeeded by Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019: “If I wanted, in two days I could have Russian troops not only in Kyiv, but also in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest. “ He also told Poroshenko, as it is claimed, “not to rely too much on the EU.” The alleged threat came after Putin reportedly said he could occupy the Ukrainian capital “in two weeks” as thousands of Russian troops gathered at the border. Mr Poroshenko told the US Congress in 2014: “If they do not stop now, they will cross European borders and spread around the world.” The Kremlin later denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating “Similar, baseless allegations concerning Putin have been made more than once. Last month, the Russian government falsely claimed that the Russian invaders would be greeted by citizens in Ukraine, but instead met with strong resistance and were unable to secure Kyiv. There have long been fears that the Russian president plans to expand his territory to EU and NATO countries. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues for its second month (Image: Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / AFP via Getty Images) Earlier this month, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dobrovskis warned that Putin could target aggression in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia if Ukraine fell. He said: “If we do not support Ukraine, it will not stop in Ukraine. “Obviously, Putin is now in a kind of aggressive warlike mood, and unfortunately, that aggression is likely to continue in other countries.” In an interview with The Economist, Ukraine’s current president, Mr Zelensky, said sanctions against Russia came too late, suggesting the invasion could have been prevented. He said: “I am convinced that if tougher sanctions had been imposed earlier, there would not have been a large-scale Russian attack.” Yesterday, Zelensky told a group of Russian freelance journalists on Sunday that Kyiv was ready to become neutral and meet with Moscow. in some of its requirements. It would abandon its bid to join NATO and pledge not to develop nuclear weapons, on the grounds that Russia would withdraw its troops and give Kyiv security guarantees. No peace deal would be possible without a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops, he said, although he ruled out trying to retake all Russian territory by force, saying “it would lead to a third world war.” The goal, he said, was to reach a “compromise” on the area of eastern Donbass, which has been held by Russian-backed forces since 2014. However, Zelensky said Ukraine had refused to discuss some other Russian demands, such as the demilitarization of the country. For the latest Hull Live titles straight to your inbox, Click here. Read more related articles Read more related articles
