He acknowledged that Ukraine was surrounded by about 200,000 Russian troops and thousands of armored automobiles, all of whom had been specified permission to advance and into Ukraine. Ukraine had declared a state of unexpected emergency previously in the day and asked its nationals to flee Russia.“This action could be the start of a main war on the European continent,” Zelensky reported. “The cause could occur at any minute, any provocation, any spark — that spark could melt away down almost everything.”Even as Russia’s forces have massed at Ukraine’s border and western leaders have grown significantly frightened by Putin’s steps, Zelensky, a previous comic who built an unpredicted foray into politics, has minimized the risk of conflict with Russia.