The Ukrainian President claimed from the twenty-seven faster arms deliveries in the face of the recent successes of the Russian army in the Donbass.
MO12345lemonde with AFP and Reuters
On the second day of his European mini-tour, Thursday, February 9, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was welcomed as heroes in Brussels.
“We do not defend that our territory, we defend our European house,” said the Ukrainian leader during a European summit. He “personally” thanked the heads of state and government of the EU for their “flawless support” in recent months. But he also warned that we should do more:
“We need artillery, ammunition, modern tanks, long -range missiles, modern fighter planes (…). Thank you for doing more. We have to go faster than our aggressor. “
He also called to harden economic sanctions against Moscow. The moment is crucial for Ukraine who is worried about the recent success of the Russian army in Donbass and fears a large-scale offensive in the coming weeks.
In the morning, Volodymyr Zelensky was first greeted by the MEPs who reserved a standing ovation, after stages in London and Paris the day before. “Welcome to you, welcome to the EU!” Launched the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. Obviously moved, his hand on the heart, he listened to the Ukrainian anthem alongside the president of Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who praised “a historic day for Europe”.
Macron and Scholz Simmer on planes
The European Union and its member states estimate “at least” 67 billion euros their military, financial and humanitarian support in kyiv since the start of the conflict on February 24, 2022. The EU will “continue supporting In Ukraine as long as necessary, “promised the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “It is very important that we accelerate military aid. We must do more,” pleaded the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas.
received in London on Wednesday by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and by King Charles III, the Ukrainian president had been welcomed in Paris on Wednesday evening by Emmanuel Macron who also invited Olaf Scholz for a late dinner at the Elysée. MM. Macron and Scholz have so far delayed on planes. “I am convinced that we must favor useful deliveries to conduct these operations and resist, rather than the commitments that will arrive very late or very far,” said the French president in Brussels, assuring that the question of planes did not have been discussed in Paris with Mr. Zelensky. “You have to look at what is available in the short term,” he insisted.
Already in London, the Ukrainian president had asked for “combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom”. Seeming to open the door to aircraft deliveries, the British head of government has promised to form hunting pilots “in NATO standards”. He asked the British army to study possible aircraft deliveries, a solution that is only possible “in the long term”.
A Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov warned Thursday against “a growing commitment from Germany, the United Kingdom, France in the conflict”. “The border between indirect and direct commitment is gradually disappearing. We can only regret it,” he said.