Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not hide his “disappointment” last night at the lack of progress on Kiev’s entry into NATO, for which he asked European leaders to create an anti-missile shield as a guarantee for Ukraine. Patriot System.
“Our proposal to create an air shield or air defense shield for the entire European continent is very important.” Zelensky declared after attending the summit of the European Political Community (CPE) in the Moldovan city of Bulboca.
Zelensky, who was the first to appear at the Mimi Mahal, monopolized the dominant role in the meeting, which attracted fifty leaders from across the continent and to whom he proposed “starting with Ukraine”.
The President suggested creating a “Patriotic Alliance” in the image and likeness of the Western alliance forged specifically for the supply of American-made F-16 fighters.
“We already know which system works, unfortunately,” he said, referring to the airstrikes his country has faced every day since the start of the Russian war more than 15 months ago. .
Kiev confirmed the arrival of the first Patriots in mid-April, but insisted they are “totally insufficient” to guarantee the protection of “large cities and critical infrastructure” against Russian ballistic missiles.
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte – one of three countries, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, that have sent patriots to Kiev – promised today to persuade as many allies as possible to send more batteries to Kiev .
“We have seen what this system can do to protect the Ukrainian civilian population,” he said.
best security guarantee
In turn, Zelensky insisted on early entry into NATO as the best guarantee of security, and assured that Ukraine was “ready” to enter the bloc.
That is why he did not hide his dismay at statements made in Oslo by the Allied Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, that the Alliance would provide security guarantees to Kiev after the war was over.
“Even Ukraine, which defends European values ​​by paying the price of blood, is yet to have a positive answer about joining the European Union (EU) and NATO. Our hopes are getting further and further away. I’m sorry I have to express this disappointment here on behalf of our soldiers who fight for the freedom of our people.”
The Ukrainian leader recalled that “Russia is afraid of NATO and seeks to grab only those countries that are outside the space defended by the Atlantic Alliance.”
Ukrainian aspirations were supported by Rutte and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who claimed that Ukraine’s “rightful place” was within NATO.
differences between partners
Meanwhile, others such as his Portuguese colleague, António Costa, denied an imminent accession.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced that the allies would make a decision “before the summit” in Vilnius on 11 and 12 July, but dismissed a possible “road map” for Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, “It is important that the Vilnius summit can give these strong, new and credible guarantees to Ukraine in this context of war.”
Same with Prime Minister Zelensky of Estonia, caja callusInsisted that “the only security guarantee is NATO.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said that “it is very clear” that Ukraine must receive security guarantees, but that these must come “after the war”.
Despite the pleas of Zelensky, the President of Moldova, Maiya Sanduconcluded that a message of unity “in the face of the greatest military aggression since World War II” emerged from the second summit of the European Political Community.
“We want to send a strong message of unity to the European family against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war,” Pedro Sanchez, the president of the Spanish government, also commented. Spain will precisely host the third summit of the European Political Community in Granada in October.
(tagged to translate) Volodymyr Zelensky
