Video: Ukraine’s defeat could drive 20 million refugees into Europe, Zelensky warns EU leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Abdullateef Fowewe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned to European leaders, stressing that if Ukraine falls to Russia, as many as 20 million Ukrainians could flee to Europe.
Speaking at a press conference during the European Council summit in Brussels, Zelensky said, “What will happen if we fall? 20 million Ukrainians will come to Europe because Putin will destroy us and push us out.”
He added that Russia is “killing us” and that Ukrainians are being driven from their own country, insisting Moscow has no intention of stopping.
“Putin wants to destroy us. He doesn’t respect us, our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“He really thinks that we are not a country, not a nation. If we fall, 20 million Ukrainians will come to Europe. That is why we ask: stay strong, defend our country,” Zelensky told reporters.
The remarks came as Zelensky pressed EU partners for continued military, financial, and political backing amid the war’s fifth winter.
Ukraine has requested additional funding, including reports of seeking another €70 billion, while facing pressure related to shifting U.S. positions under President Donald Trump.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Pre-war estimates put Ukraine’s population at around 42 million.
Large-scale displacement followed more than four million Ukrainians currently live in EU countries under temporary protection, primarily in Germany, Poland, and Czechia, according to Eurostat figures.
Estimates of the population remaining inside Ukraine range from roughly 22–30 million, depending on the source.
The conflict has produced Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Zelensky’s warning framed continued Ukrainian resistance as not only a matter of Kyiv’s survival but also a way to limit further large-scale migration into the European Union.
The comments coincided with broader discussions at the summit on migration policy, with some member states pushing for tougher approaches to irregular arrivals.
Zelensky’s appearance formed part of a broader diplomatic effort that included bilateral meetings with European leaders.
He emphasised that airspace violations and drone incidents already affect multiple EU countries and argued that supporting Ukraine helps contain wider escalation.
