Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting Madrid, called on the West to “use all means” to force Russia into peace.
In kyiv, after initially announcing the imminent arrival in Ukraine of French military instructors, the military authorities clarified that the question was being studied, but not yet decided.
At a press conference in Madrid alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the Ukrainian head of state said: “We must intensify our joint work with our partners to achieve more: security and tangible coercion of the Russia to peace by all means. »
We must “put pressure not only on Russia, but also on our partners so that they give us the possibility of defending ourselves,” he added, again demanding anti-aircraft defense systems to be able to intercept the most 3,000 guided aerial bombs launched by Russia on its country every month.
“Block all”
A little less than three weeks before a summit for peace in Ukraine planned in Switzerland, Mr. Zelensky rejected the proposal from China and Brazil to invite Russia, believing that it would “block everything”.
In difficulty on the Eastern and North-Eastern fronts, Ukraine has been demanding for months to be able to strike Russian positions and rear bases on Russian territory with Western weapons. But Americans and Europeans have so far refused for fear of an escalation, giving a certain advantage to the Kremlin forces.
This question, however, is beginning to cause debate among the allies.
During a NATO meeting in Sofia, its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that it was “time to reconsider” the restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine which tie its “hands in the back “.
On Sunday, the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni said for her part that she was opposed to such use of weapons supplied to Ukraine against targets on Russian territory. “You have to be very careful,” she said.
The head of British diplomacy, David Cameron, on the other hand, estimated, during a trip to kyiv at the beginning of May, that kyiv could use British weapons as it saw fit, citing its “right” to strike Russian territory.
Questioned on Monday on the subject, Pedro Sánchez declared, evasively, that he did not have “this will”.
“We will be alongside Ukraine as long as it takes,” however, repeated the Prime Minister.
He announced “a commitment of military aid for 2024 of one billion euros” from Madrid, which had until now provided limited support to kyiv.
Ukraine is particularly demanding American Patriot anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems, arguing that it currently has only a quarter of the resources it needs.
Two lost villages
Mr. Zelensky thus specified in Madrid that he needed “seven additional Patriot systems”, including “at least two for Kharkiv”, a city located around forty kilometers from the border and shelled by the Russian army.
Tuesday morning, he is expected in Brussels where he must sign a bilateral security agreement with the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and meet King Philippe.
Mr. Zelensky must then travel to Lisbon to meet Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
In kyiv, the Ministry of Defense clarified Monday evening that the sending of French military instructors to Ukraine was “still under discussion” with Paris, after the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army came forward further, affirming that France was going to send some “soon”.
“Since February 2024, Ukraine has expressed interest in the prospect of receiving foreign instructors in Ukraine,” a Defense Ministry statement said. “For now, we are still in discussions with France and other countries on this issue.”
In Paris, the French Ministry of Defense limited itself to indicating that “training on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects discussed since the conference on support for Ukraine convened by the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) on February 26,” without confirming the sending of instructors.
On the ground, Russian forces continued to advance, claiming the capture of two new locations in eastern Ukraine.
A new strike on an industrial zone in Kharkiv killed a woman on Monday, according to the region’s governor.
In the south, at least three people were killed and six others injured in a Russian strike on Snigourivka, a village in the southern region of Mykolaiv, its governor announced.
Since the beginning of May, Russia has continued to gain ground in Ukraine. To do this, it recruited heavily by offering attractive sales and mobilized the military industry to support its war effort.