According to Zelensky, Russia currently has only one “military advantage, namely the complete devaluation of human life”. At the same time, Ukraine does not have enough weapons systems.
“There are no long-range weapons. Russia has them, we have very few of them. That's the whole truth. That is why our main weapons are our fighters.” Currently, Ukraine's actions are only limited by a lack of resources, as Zelenskyy explained in Munich, shortly before the second anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: ” Weapon packs, anti-aircraft packs, that's exactly what we're hoping for.”
Security conference: Zelenskyy appeals for support
Ukraine has already been scarred by two years of war and has been weakened by recent setbacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy therefore calls for support at the Munich Security Conference.
“Deficit of artificial weapons”
Zelensky spoke at the security conference immediately following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's appearance. However, while Scholz tried to be confident in his speech and spoke of a “silver lining” on the horizon, Zelensky warned of incalculable consequences as a result of the “deficit of artificial weapons” and “self-weakening”.
“2024 awaits a reaction from all of us,” said Zelensky, according to the official translation. Ukraine has resisted the Russian threat for 724 days. “Our resistance prevented the destruction of the rules-based world.” With a view to a future without war, Russia must be a thing of the past because the country does not play by the rules. The international community can still achieve this “if we do everything we can”. But the question is: “how long will the world allow Russia to act this way?”
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Zelensky welcomed the security agreements signed with Germany and France on Friday, which are a promise of long-term support and more arms deliveries. But he also urgently warned about the consequences of the war: the longer it lasts, the greater the risk of expansion and greater damage to the international order.
“If we do not act now, Putin will manage to turn the next few years into a catastrophe,” said Zelensky, who also warned of the dangers for other European countries in his speech: “We must act together as a team. If Ukraine is left alone, then we will see what happens: Russia will destroy us, destroy the Baltic countries, destroy Poland – it is capable of that.”
Scholz follows in the footsteps of Willy Brandt
“Without security, everything else is nothing,” Scholz emphasized earlier. With his statement, the German Chancellor was inspired by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who said at the height of the Cold War in 1981: “Peace is not everything, but everything is nothing without peace.”
He and some other Europeans are campaigning “very strongly” for military aid to Ukraine to be increased in all EU capitals, Scholz said, referring to Germany's doubling of military aid to Ukraine. Russia is arming itself, but Europe has much greater economic power to survive in an arms race.
Engelmayer (ORF) at the security conference
ORF correspondent Maresi Engelmayer reports from the security conference in Munich. Among other things, she talks about possible support for Ukraine and reactions to Navalny's death.
However, Scholz highlighted that the Russian armed forces were intact after two years of war, despite huge losses. “Russia has been preparing its army for this war for many years and has developed new and dangerous weapons systems at all levels. The Russian economy has been operating in war mode for a long time.” Putin is sending more and more soldiers to the front. On the other hand, people in the West have to ask themselves whether enough is being done to signal to Putin that they are ready for a long period of crisis. In this context, Scholz called for more support from Europe: “After all, we are talking about the biggest threat to security on our continent”.
Portal/Wolfgang Rattay Zelenskyy and Harris make a joint appearance in Munich
Harris: There is “only one Plan A”
In Munich, US Vice President Kamala Harris also called on people in her country to “firmly” support Ukraine. “We can’t play political games,” Harris said at a joint press conference with Zelensky, referring to the tug of war over a $60 billion (around €56 billion) aid package in Washington.
debate
How far will Putin go?
She further emphasized that such things “should play no role” in the fight against Russia. In Washington, the aid package for Ukraine was blocked for months by opposition Republicans, at the behest of former US President Donald Trump, who wants to run for re-election in November.
Support for Ukraine has nothing to do with election dates, Harris said. There is “only one plan A: Ukraine gets what it needs.” The vice president was convinced of the bipartisan support for the aid package: she firmly believes that “if the bill is voted on today in the House of Representatives, it will be approved.”
Zelensky: Ready to go forward with Trump
Zelensky said his country is counting on the “positive decision” of the US Congress. The aid package is “very important” for Ukraine and could contribute to progress on the battlefield. “Decision makers need to know what war is like in reality, and not just what it is like on Instagram,” said Zelensky, also inviting Trump to visit Ukraine. “If Trump comes, I’m ready to go forward with him,” Zelensky said.
Stoltenberg appeals to US representatives
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urgently appealed to the US House of Representatives to approve planned military aid to Ukraine. “Every week we wait means more people are killed on the front lines in Ukraine,” the Norwegian told the security conference.
The US must definitely decide on the aid package for Ukraine. The country must fulfill what it promised. During the panel discussion, Republican Senator Pete Ricketts was convinced that his party would not block US aid in the House of Representatives in the long term. At the same time, he defended the previous blockade and highlighted that “each country has its own policies and its own priorities,” he said, referring to Republicans' push for more resources to secure the U.S. southern border.
The 60th Munich Security Conference was opened on Friday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A total of around 50 heads of state and government from around the world participate in the conference. The start of the conference on Friday was overshadowed by reports of the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison.