Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday urged world leaders to “accelerate” their military support for Kyiv nearly a year after the Russian invasion and at a time when a next major Russian offensive is feared.
“We need speed. Speed to conclude our agreements, speed of deliveries to strengthen our fight, speed of decisions to limit the Russian potential. There is no alternative to speed, because it is on it that life depends, ”argued the Ukrainian president during a video intervention at the Security Conference in Munich, Germany which started on Friday.
After a year of war, no sign of appeasement is in sight on the front of the fighting, which is bogged down in particular east of Bakhmout, and the chances of a diplomatic resolution of the conflict are almost nil.
Since the start of the offensive, the toll has risen to tens of thousands of victims on both sides, and NATO expects a new Russian offensive.
In this context, “there is no alternative to Ukraine’s victory. No alternative to Ukraine in the European Union. No alternative to Ukraine in NATO”, launched the Ukrainian head of state.
Because for him, “it is clear that Ukraine will not be” Vladimir Putin’s last stop, and that the latter will “continue (his offensive, editor’s note) towards other states of the former Soviet bloc”, he warned.
“Impressive determination”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, present in Munich, assured Ukraine that Germany’s support for Kiev, both financial, humanitarian and military, was designed to “last for a long time”, stressing that Berlin and its allies will support the Ukrainians “as long as necessary”.
“Ukrainians are defending their freedom at great sacrifice and with absolutely impressive determination,” he said.
The Chancellor called on Western countries that can deliver tanks to kyiv “to really do it”, an unusually critical tone on his part.
After being pressed from all sides to deliver German-made Leopard 2 tanks, Angela Merkel’s successor gave the green light at the end of January to deliveries of tanks by Germany but also other European countries.
But subsequent talks with NATO partners have not made it possible at this stage to bring together the personnel necessary for the constitution of a complete battalion, that is to say about thirty 2A6 tanks, the most modern.
New penalties
More than 150 government representatives gather for this three-day conference devoted to international security issues, which is held each year in Munich.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US Vice President Kamala Harris, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg, who will leave office in the fall, will also be present.
On Thursday, the NATO chief said he feared a war of attrition. “We have to be prepared for the long term, it can take many, many years,” he warned in an interview with AFP.
Western countries support Ukraine by sending it weapons, and by economic sanctions against Russia.
In this regard, Washington and its allies are preparing the adoption of “a new large package of sanctions” “around February 24”, the anniversary date of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, said Thursday Victoria Nuland, secretary of the State Deputy for Political Affairs.
The allies have already imposed drastic sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, hitting at the highest levels of the Russian state, as well as its industry, banks and oil sector.
Tensions between the United States and China, exacerbated by the overflight of American soil by a Chinese balloon, should also figure prominently on the menu of discussions at the conference.
These dissensions fall badly at a time when the Europeans, in particular Germany and France, still hope to convince China, which remains an ally of Moscow, to put pressure on Vladimir Putin so that he puts an end to the war.