The Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, trusted this Thursday that his country will obtain “today or tomorrow” the status of a candidate for membership of the European Union (EU) and envisioned a Ukraine “with a new future as part of the European family” for generations to come.
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“This is our choice, our vision of the future for the good of our children. We want to build a country that is part of the EU,” the president said today in a videoconference speech with students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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Zelensky was optimistic that Ukraine would obtain “today or tomorrow” the status of a candidate for EU member state. and stressed that the Ukrainians “have sacrificed a lot for it.”
The president insisted that joining the EU is the best guarantee of security for his country, condemned to live “with a neighbor that will probably want to attack us again in 20 or 25 years,” he said, referring to Russia, which invaded Ukraine almost four months unleashing a harsh war now concentrated in the east of the country.
“We have a lot to invest in security and in reinforcing institutions. Security in all public spaces, starting with our borders. Bombs, artillery or missile attacks can hit us at any time with a neighbor like this,” said the president, from his office. presidential and dressed in the olive green tracksuit.
Zelenski, of Jewish origin, took advantage of his speech before Israeli students to demand greater military support from Israel to Ukraine during the warsince for the moment they have only provided medical aid despite the insistence of the Ukrainian authorities that they need weapons.
Israel has been reluctant to provide military aid or even sell its sophisticated Iron Dome anti-missile system to Ukraine, lest it jeopardize its geostrategic alliance in Syria with Russia, which allows it to regularly attack pro-Iranian positions near its northern border.
“We understand that it is a complicated situation,” said Zelenskiy, who recalled that small countries like Luxembourg have given Ukraine weapons worth more than half of its defense budget and also lamented Israel’s lukewarm position regarding the reception of refugees and with the sanctions against Russia.
Israel announced facilities for the reception of Ukrainian refugees, but at the moment of truth it has been limited only to people with Jewish roots, with very modest asylum figures compared to other countries such as Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic or Ireland, among others. those mentioned by Zelensky, which “have fully opened their doors to Ukrainians.”
“When a government introduces sanctions, it is not about money or business, it is about values and general security. It has to do with claiming responsibilities,” said the president about the absence of sanctions from Israel, a country that defends that these measures are not contemplated in its legislation.
“Remember how linked we are, how close our ties are and what the level of understanding between us should be. We believe that Israeli society understands our needs, but we do not have good communication with some representatives of your government,” Zelensky reproached.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from EFE
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