Ukraine is still standing: that’s the message Volodimir Zelenski sends to his allies not to slacken their aid. This is what he said on Tuesday to the European Parliament at a special session for the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion. “Putin will not stop on his own. The more time he has, the worse the conditions will be. It is time to put more pressure on Russia,” he told the MEPs, who welcomed him and dismissed him with resounding applause. This also comes against a backdrop of in which the U.S. has authorized Ukraine to use the long-range missiles delivered to it by Russia. to its troops to respond to Moscow’s attacks on Russian territory. This is accepted by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, but on which there is no clear unity among the 27.
“Together we have achieved a lot, but we have to do a lot more.”, continued the Ukrainian president, who asks “not to be afraid” to take further steps in the face of Putin, who, he says, is “only focused on winning this war.” At the same time, Zelenski has called on European leaders not to use Ukraine to “win their elections.” The key is to continue support for Kiev because Russia has “no motivation” for real peace negotiations. “They know very well that Putin does not value people or standards. He only values money and power. That’s what we have to remove to restore peace,” Zelenski repeated.
Also, the Ukrainian leader had a message for those who are hesitant to continue aid to his country. “No one can enjoy calm waters in the middle of a storm.”he said, with a message that extends, for example, to Moldova or Georgia, which could be the Kremlin’s next targets. Zelenski, at this point, doubts “those who think they can sell any country and get something in return”.
Volodimir Zelenski insists that his plan is “the one of victory” and needs the support of his allies, although some of them have opened ‘alternative’ ways that are of little use. This is the case of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who spoke a few days ago on the phone with Putin… without any real progress. In fact, Russia’s response was to launch a new massive attack on several Ukrainian regions. That move by Berlin was criticized not only by Kiev, but also by other European partners such as Poland or Lithuania.
Metsola: “We are with Ukraine, until freedom”.
Before Zelenski intervened, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, vindicated the role of the institution at Kiev’s side. “For 1,000 days this European Parliament has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine and their representatives in the Verkhovna Rada, united and unwavering. And we will continue to stand by Ukraine’s side, today, tomorrow and every day. For as long as it takes,” he stressed. “Today we send a clear and simple message: we are with Ukraine, until freedom, until real peace.“, he concluded.
For Metsola, the Russian offensive “is an assault not only on Ukraine, but on the rules-based order.”. It is the same message that has been coming out of Brussels for more than two years: “It is an assault on our values and our way of life. What is at stake is peace, democracy and freedom. And we know the sacrifice the Ukrainian people are enduring, not just for themselves, but for all of us,” Metsola concluded.
For his part, the High Representative, Josep Borrell, has assured that the EU has to continue its support for Kiev without waiting for the decisions to be taken by the United States under Donald Trump. “Europeans cannot be in reactive mode. We cannot wait for Trump’s decision, our support to Ukraine has to continue“, has expressed the head of European diplomacy for that round date of the invasion. “Ukrainian soldiers are not speculating.”The Spaniard warned, in reference to possible doubts that the West may have in the future. Zelenski wants more support, and in a volatile scenario the EU seems committed to continue giving it.
“A thousand days ago, Russia tried to make Ukraine disappear from the map. And in these thousand days, Russia has failed because of Ukraine’s resistance and the sacrifice of your heroes.“, summed up, in the same vein, the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. The tone was also shared by French President Emmanuel Macron. “Our support will not waver,” he maintained, calling the Ukrainian resistance “courageous.” “Perhaps our response should have been firmer, stronger from the beginning, since 2014. Now Russia is stepping up: we have to prevent this from happening with impunity“, Borrell added again.
Putin and a new nuclear doctrine
Meanwhile, the Russian president has ratified his new nuclear doctrine, which consists in adding more types of threats and the sources of threats against which this weaponry could be deployedconsidering the context of the war over the Ukraine and the possibility of Ukrainian forces carrying out attacks with long-range weaponry towards Russian territory. This decree, which has been published on the official portal of legal documents of the Russian government, has as its main objective “to strengthen the state strategy of nuclear deterrence” in the face of growing tensions. Everything will come into force immediately, as soon as it is signed by the Russian president himself.