'This is Russia's real goal': Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Vladimir Putin seeks to dominate Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's "real goal" is to push deeper into Europe and that the only way to stop him is for North Atlantic Treaty Organization member nations to keep supplying tactical support to Ukraine.

“I can say what we need: We need security guarantees, and you have to find a place for Ukraine in the common security space. There will be either urgent help for Ukraine, which is enough to win, or Russia's postponed war with you,” Zelenskyy said as reported by The Daily Beast. “Next year could be a worse situation [for] not only Ukraine but also several other states, possibly members of the alliance… under fire from Russia.”

Zelenskyy delivered his remarks while President Joe Biden was meeting with NATO leaders to finalize the admission of Sweden and Finland into the defense alliance.

READ MORE: How Vladimir Putin is 'targeting American audiences' to cripple support for Ukraine as war slogs on: report

Zelenskyy believes that Putin, whom Zelenskyy revealed earlier this month controls 20 percent of Ukraine, is eyeing invasions of Eastern European countries, including some that belong to NATO.

“The question is—who is next?,” Zelensky said. “Moldova? Or the Baltic countries? Or Poland? The answer is—all of them.”

If Russia were to attack Poland, for example, an Article V response would likely be initiated, compounding the already catastrophic loss of life and substantially raising the chances of a direct exchange between the nuclear-armed superpowers or, however unlikely, World War III.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki expounded on the possible consequences of a Russian victory in Ukraine in a Politico editorial on Monday.

“Despite the successes of Ukrainian troops, Russia is moving forward with its central goal, destroying industry, roads and schools along the way," Morawiecki wrote. "While Ukraine has surpassed expectations to fend off Russia for this long, unless the U.S. and Europe intervene more forcefully, a protracted war could mean not only Ukraine’s downfall but — in the long term — the rise of a new global hegemony, which will be able to marginalize the Western world.”

Zelenskyy indicated on Wednesday that he shares Morawiecki's concerns.

“The Russian army… it does not want to stop in Donbas or somewhere in the south of Ukraine. It wants to absorb city after city, all of us, and then all in Europe, whom the Russian leadership considers its property, not independent states,” Zelensky continued. “This is Russia's real goal.”

Ukraine is currently awaiting approval of its application to join the European Union, which like NATO has provided defensive arms to the young war-torn democracy. It was granted candidate status on Sunday.

Biden, meanwhile, passively credited Putin for inadvertently triggering an expansion of NATO, which the Russian autocrat has long feared and sought to prevent.

“You’re gonna get the NATO-ization of Europe," Biden said according to the Associated Press. "And that’s exactly what he didn’t want, but exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe."

Biden also committed to boosting American military presence along NATO's Eastern flank with Russia.

"The United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security," the president said.

Read the full story here (subscription required).