''We must all fight Putin together'' because ''his ambitions are dark, obscure and not only towards us'', but ''we must invest in peace and a just world order''. He declared it Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It is the first time since the Russian aggression against Ukraine that Zelensky has participated in person at the Forum. ''The madness that lies within Putin's heart and mind must not prevail,'' he added.
Blinken to Zelensky: “US support will be lasting”
Zelensky also had a conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken who promised ''a lasting support'' to Kiev from the United States. “We are determined to continue our support for Ukraine and are working closely with Congress to do so. I know our European colleagues will do the same,” Blinken told Zelensky. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, joined the meeting and told Zelensky that the United States and its allies are determined “to ensure that Russia fails and Ukraine wins.”
The Ukrainian leader explained on Telegram that he had spoken with Blinken about cooperation between Kiev and Washington on air defense. ''Air defense and long-range capabilities are particularly important for our state,'' Zelensky said. ''We really count on your support, may your enormous support continue,'' the Ukrainian president said.
Stoltenberg: “I have faith in continued support for Kiev”
“We must continue to support Ukraine and I am confident that NATO countries will continue to do so, because doing so is equivalent to investing in our own security”, said the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. “The most important thing is that Ukraine survived as a sovereign and independent country. For them it is a great victory and Russia is losing what they wanted to achieve with the war, which is to control Ukraine. The people in Ukraine have never had less trust in Russia than now, they want to be part of the West, of NATO and of the EU and this is a big defeat for Russia.”
According to Stoltenberg, “the more credible we remain in our military support for Ukraine, the more likely diplomats will be successful.” “What happens around the negotiating table with diplomats is closely linked to the situation on the battlefield,” he added. “What really matters – Stoltenberg then stated, who was asked to formulate hypotheses on the reaction to the conflict within Russia – are the things we do: we must do what we can to raise the price paid by Russia. Naturally when they lost 300 thousand men dead and wounded, thousands of armored vehicles, hundreds of tanks, this matters for Russian citizens, whose economy is in difficulty. They are paying an economic and political price, they are more politically isolated”, he underlined. “What we can do is not predict with certainty what will happen but maximize the chances that at one hundred percent Russian President Putin understands that carrying on with this war will come at too high a price. And agrees to come to the table to negotiate some form of fair and lasting peace with Ukraine, an independent and sovereign nation”.
During the meeting, of which some moments on 'X' were shared, Zelensky ''informed the Secretary General of Russia's recent mass airstrikes and underlined the need to further strengthen Ukraine's air defense''. The two, we read in the tweet, ''also talked about other defense needs. We both underlined the importance of the UK-Ukraine security agreement, which builds on the G7 Vilnius Declaration. Zelensky then informed Stoltenberg of the work that Ukraine is carrying out with partners on similar agreements and ''underlined the importance of signing these documents, which will be in force until Ukraine joins NATO''. Furthermore, there was talk of ''preparations for the NATO summit in Washington''.
Von der Leyen: “It can prevail, funding is needed”
For Russia, the war in Ukraine is “a military failure” and Kiev “can prevail“. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the war in Ukraine, she states, “Russia is unable to achieve its strategic objectives. It is first and foremost a military failure. When Russia invaded Ukraine, many feared that Kiev would fall in a few days and the rest of the country in a matter of weeks. This didn't happen. In contrast, Russia has lost about half of its military capabilities. Ukraine kicked Russia out of half the territories it had conquered. She repelled the Russian Black Sea Fleet and reopened a sea corridor to supply grain to the world. And she kept her freedom and independence.”
“Russia's failure – he continues – is also economic. The sanctions have disconnected its economy from modern technology and innovation: it now depends on China. And, finally, Russia's failure is also diplomatic. Finland has joined NATO , Sweden will soon follow. And Ukraine is closer than ever to the European Union. All this tells us that Ukraine can prevail in this war. But we must continue to strengthen their resistance. Ukrainians need predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond.”
“They need a sufficient and sustained supply of weapons – adds von der Leyen – to defend themselves and regain their rightful territory. They need capabilities to deter future attacks by Russia. And they also need hope. They need to know that, with their struggle, they will achieve a better future for their children. And the best future of Ukraine is called Europe. It is with immense joy that last month we decided to start negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU. This will be Ukraine's historic achievement. And it will be Europe that responds to the call of history”, he concludes.
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