On the occasion of the thousandth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky asks the EU to put “more pressure” on Vladimir Putin through sanctions, but above all to allow his army to attack Russia on its own territory. After US President Joe Biden lifted the restriction on the weapons he sends to Kive, pressure is increasing on Germany, which is the main European country with this type of missile. And Zelensky also warned that while allies remain in limbo on issues such as elections (attacking German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who recently spoke with Putin), Moscow is only thinking about war and assured that the North’s contingent of Korean troops deployed on the border, which now stands at around 10,000, could reach 100,000.
“Putin is focused on winning this war. It won’t stop on its own. The more time you have, the worse the conditions will be. “Every day is the best time to put more pressure on Russia,” Zelensky said in a videoconference speech to the European Parliament. “It is clear that without certain key factors, Russia will lack real motivation to engage in meaningful negotiations,” continued Zelensky, who believes that the solution lies in improving Ukraine’s conditions on the field. battle by being able to attack “ammunition depots on Ukrainian territory”. “Russian”, “disrupt its military logistics” and “destroy its air bases”.
“Together we have achieved a lot, but we must not be afraid to do more every day,” Zelensky pleaded before the European Parliament. “They know very well that Putin does not like people or rules. He only values money and power. This is what we must remove to restore peace,” he stressed. With the help he requested – sanctions but also authorization to strike Putin at home – he was optimistic that 2025 could be “the year of peace”.
In a pre-election tone, the leader of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, took advantage of his speech to attack the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. “Biden showed leadership by authorizing the use of weapons (on Russian soil). Scholz said he would take all necessary steps with his American friends. Give them the Taurus missiles they need,” he defended.
Socialist Iratxe García also spoke in favor of removing restrictions on the use of weapons given to attack Russia on its territory. “Zelensky and the Ukrainian people do not need applause or words. “They need weapons because wars are not won just with the power of words, they are won with munitions, tanks and area defenses,” he said: “If tomorrow EU was attacked, would we ask ourselves if it is legitimate to attack the enemy from where he strikes us? ? With every red line we impose on ourselves, the Ukrainian people pay for death and destruction.”
“Supporting Ukraine is not only a moral obligation, it is also a direct investment in Europe’s security. These thousand days have shown us that the Russian regime is capable of the worst and that lasting peace can only be achieved if we remain firm in the face of autocrats. Europe must redouble its support for Ukraine,” declared liberal Valérie Hayer.
“Peace on difficult terms is like feeding a crocodile and waiting for the last one to attack us,” warned the spokesperson for the far-right ECR, Nicola Proccacini, about an agreement on advantageous conditions for Moscow to emerge from the crisis. The left has lamented the “ferocious” consequences of the Russian invasion, insisting that warlike rhetoric must be avoided and pressure must be increased on Russia and China so that the war ends in a “long-term” peace. and sustainable” which respects international law and international law. in Ukraine, the system of the strongest does not prevail, reports Europa Press.
The far-right group Patriots for Europe spoke out against the position maintained by the EU, whose spokesperson, Hungarian MEP Kinga Gal, assured that “it did not help to put end to the war.” “We must above all focus on building peace,” declared the MP from Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, convinced that Donald Trump’s victory opens this path.
Alongside these interventions in the European Parliament, EU defense ministers met. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the elimination of restrictions on weapons that kyiv receives, but acknowledged that it is a decision of the countries. “NATO has already stated that when allies deliver weapons systems to Ukraine, it is better not to impose restrictions on them. There is a general opinion, but then it is up to each ally to decide what they do,” he noted.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell also supported the measure. “It seems reasonable to me to provide weapons not only to stop the arrows but to attack the archers,” he said after the last foreign ministers meeting of his term.
