‘World War 3 has already begun,’ Ex-Ukraine army chief warns, citing US involvement

Former commander-in-chief of Ukraine has claimed that the world has already entered the phase of the third World War, with the direct involvement of two superpowers in the raging conflict—The United States and Russia.

Valery Zaluzhny, who was dismissed by UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelensky in February this year in a significant military shake-up, said that the Ukraine conflict had already escalated beyond a regional war and powers like the US, North Korea, Iran and China are playing a major role.

Zaluzhny’s comments possibly referred to Ukraine using US and UK-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia.

The former Ukrainian army chief, who is now serving as Ukraine’s envoy to the United Kingdom, was speaking at Ukrainska Pravda's UP100 award ceremony. “I believe that in 2024 we can absolutely believe that the Third World War has begun,” said Zaluzhny.

Ukraine war: ‘No longer a regional conflict’

Zaluzhny highlighted that the alleged presence of North Korean troops inside Russia and the potential deployment of Chinese weapons on the battlefield showed that the Ukraine war was no longer a regional conflict.

"Because in 2024, Ukraine is no longer facing Russia. Soldiers from North Korea are standing in front of Ukraine. Let's be honest,” said the ex-army chief of Ukraine. “Already in Ukraine, the Iranian 'Shahedis' are killing civilians absolutely openly, without any shame,” he added.

According to reports in Western media, Russia has ordered the deployment of some 50,000 troops hailing from both Russia and North Korea for an impending counter-offensive in Russia'sKursk Oblast, parts of which are currently under Ukrainian occupation.

Zaluzhny also called on Ukraine’s Western allies to ramp up aid for Kyiv in order to prevent the conflict from expanding further.

“It is still possible to stop this war here, on the territory of Ukraine. But for some reason, our partners refuse to understand this,” he complained.

Watch:Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian President Says, 'We Can't Lose Lives To Retake Crimea'

Notably, Zaluzhny was dismissed from the top position in the military following reported disagreements with Zelensky over war strategies. Some also said Zaluzhny’s immense popularity was viewed as a potential threat to Zelensky’s hold on the government, which led to his dismissal and the subsequent diplomatic posting in London.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)