(Brussels) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to address by videoconference the leaders of the NATO countries who are meeting in Brussels on Thursday for an extraordinary summit devoted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has been reported. learned Tuesday from the Atlantic Alliance.
Posted at 4:09 p.m.
Updated at 4:37 p.m.
“President Zelensky is invited to address the NATO summit via video link. This will be an opportunity for the leaders of the allied countries to [l’]hear directly about the catastrophic situation the Ukrainian people find themselves in due to Russia’s aggression,” a NATO official said in a statement.
The spokesman for the Ukrainian president, Serguiï Nikiforov, quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine agency, had indicated that Mr. Zelensky would take an “active part” at the summit, with a speech “at the minimum”, and “at the maximum” by “ full participation, naturally in a video format”.
The Ukrainian leader will ask for help to end the Russian invasion, according to his spokesman. “It can be done in several ways. Ban airspace, provide Ukraine with powerful air defense and aviation means,” he said. On the other hand, “new security formulas will not be discussed” for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky declared on March 15 that it was necessary to “recognize” that Ukraine will not be able to join NATO, whereas this question is one of the reasons put forward by Russia to justify its invasion of the country.
“The Allies are helping Ukraine to enforce its fundamental right to self-defense by providing it with a significant amount of essential military equipment,” the NATO official recalled.
“At the summit, Allies and Ukraine will consider what Allies can do to strengthen [leur] support for Ukraine,” he added.
This extraordinary NATO summit was convened by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for Thursday, the day on which a G7 Summit and a European Union Summit are also held in Brussels.
US President Joe Biden, who will participate in these three summits, announced that Westerners would announce “new sanctions against Russia and strengthen” those that already exist.