“It’s a pretty strong call, quite desperate” for greater support, explains Wednesday February 8 on franceinfo, Nicolas Tenzer, teacher at Sciences Po, specialist in international and security issues. Volodymyr Zelensky is expected Wednesday evening in Paris, in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after a stopover in London and before going to Brussels for a European summit on Thursday. According to Nicolas Tenzer, the Ukrainian president multiplies the meetings “because we realize that the support is very strong, but does not yet allow Ukraine to envisage a total reconquest of the country”. Nicolas Tenzer develops the issues of this visit for franceinfo.
>> LIVE. War in Ukraine: “We know that Russia will lose”, says Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the British Parliament, before going to Paris
franceinfo: Volodymyr Zelensky, therefore, in London today. He chose London before Brussels tomorrow?
Nicholas Tenzer: Yes, because quite simply, after the United States, the United Kingdom is the most important supplier of arms to Ukraine. So this visit to London was in a way the logic of things, a kind of hierarchy in the thanks. But hey, now he continues on the European Union and he actually hopes that the European countries will really put their weight in the balance. We can see today that there is a sort of bad wind of peace blowing again for a certain number of personalities and leaders who are still talking about negotiations, peace agreements, perhaps compromises, as if there could be any possibility of an honest, sincere discussion agreement with a state that has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of mass genocide.
Concluding his speech to parliament in London, Volodymyr Zelensky said “thanking you in advance for the powerful British aircraft”will he do the same in Paris?
As far as planes are concerned, Emmanuel Macron did not completely close the door, even if he laid down a number of conditions. And it’s true that if the coalition – whether it’s the United States with the F-16s, whether it’s the French through the Mirage planes or the Rafale planes, etc. – could really go all the way, obviously that would be an essential thing. But for now, there is also no agreement to deliver British planes. However, it is absolutely essential if we want to hit Russia in depth with its device, we must have this combination of tanks, long-range missiles and, of course, planes.
All this is nothing insignificant with the approach of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion?
Yes, in the weeks to come, it is true that Ukraine will not yet have received all the weapons necessary both to defend itself and also to reconquer the territory. And indeed, it is a moment of danger on which Ukraine has been warning for several months. There could be advances, however slight, but still, Russian forces, and even more Ukrainian casualties. So this is an extremely critical moment. I find that we have not been responsible enough, even if there has been an awareness for a few weeks or a few months, by immediately providing Ukraine with all the necessary weapons. There was a real problem of forecasting: in time and we did not see this moment of vulnerability coming. Then again, it was still announced for quite a long time.