OREANDA-NEWS. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed concern that NATO's entry into the conflict over Ukraine could lead to the outbreak of World War III. He said this in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

According to him, Europe is doing everything possible not to aggravate the situation.

“Russia is a nuclear power, and we are well aware that if this conflict turns into a [conflict] between NATO and Russia, then we will come to a third world war,” the politician said.

Michel added that he often speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is pushing for his country's membership in the European Union. The head of the European Council stressed that the expansion of the European Union is a delicate issue on which not all EU countries adhere to the same position.

“We must also take into account the countries with which the accession process has already begun. We must support our partners who look to the free world,” Michel said.

He noted that association agreements have a huge potential, which is underestimated.

Earlier, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Jake Sullivan said that the US military is not involved in the military conflict in Ukraine and will not be sent there in the future.