Former US President George W. Bush believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is such a tough guy that he could be from Texas, writes POLITICO. The former American president warns that Putin may not stop at Ukraine, News.ro reports

Speaking via video link at a conference in Kyiv on Friday, Bush said he sees Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s empire-building ambitions and may therefore not stop at invading Ukraine.

Regarding Zelensky, Bush joked: “Well, he’s a cool guy, he’s a real Texan.”

Although Bush was born in Connecticut, he grew up in Texas.

Bush also warned that it will be increasingly difficult to convince the Americans that helping Ukraine is in their interests. “First of all, Ukraine must fight corruption. Recent cabinet reshuffles have shown me that Zelensky wants to do it,” Bush said, referring to the replacement of Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov after the institution he led was embroiled in several corruption scandals.

Attention: Putin may not stop at Ukraine

Bush also said that if Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, the US will have to join in helping countries like Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

“The situation in Ukraine is important for the security of the United States. The United States must continue to support people like Zelensky when they show courage,” Bush explained.