No buffer against Russia
Zelenskyj is deeply disappointed in the West
2/19/2022, 6:39 p.m
Ukrainian President Selenskyj appeared frustrated at the Munich Security Conference, but at the same time determined not to let his country panic despite the threat of a Russian attack. He demands weapons, investment and honesty from the West.
At the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi asked the West for help against Russia in emphatic words. However, Zelensky did not appear as a petitioner, but as a disillusioned-looking politician who was frustrated at having been put off by NATO and the EU for years.
“We will protect our country, with or without the support of our partners,” Zelenskyy said. He complained that the international security architecture had become fragile and that rules no longer worked. Ukraine is being forgotten by other countries, he complained, out of selfishness or arrogance.
Zelenskyy accused the West of having pursued a policy of appeasement for too long with regard to Russia. “We have the right to demand a change from a policy of appeasement to a policy that ensures security and peace.” A year ago, the then Chancellor Angela Merkel said on the same stage that the “puzzle pieces” of the crumbling security architecture could only be picked up by everyone working together. At that time, the audience applauded, according to Zelenskyj. But the enthusiasm did not lead to the world taking action.
Ukraine does not want to be a buffer
The Ukrainian President also called for a clear timeframe for his country’s accession to NATO. He described Ukraine as Europe’s “shield” against Russia. “For eight years Ukraine held back one of the largest armies in the world,” he said. “I hope nobody thinks that Ukraine should be a continuous buffer between the West and Russia,” Zelenskyy said. If Ukraine is not wanted in NATO, then it should be said openly: “We don’t need open doors, we need open answers.” Addressing the objection that Ukraine cannot join while the separatist areas in Donbass and Crimea are occupied, Zelenskyy said those areas would return to Ukraine, but peacefully and not via war after NATO accession.
There is currently no majority in NATO for Ukraine to join. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his speech at the security conference that morning that Ukraine’s NATO accession was not on the agenda. Scholz described it as “paradoxical” that Russia had raised the question of Ukraine’s possible NATO membership as a reason for war.
As with Scholz’s visit to Kiev, Zelenskyj demanded that the West disclose its list of sanctions against Russia. After an attack, the sanctions for Ukraine are meaningless.
Breakfast and dinner in Kiev
Zelenskyj’s visit to Munich had previously caused astonishment among some Western partners. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that given the risk of Zelenskyy invading, it was “perhaps not the wisest decision” to attend the Munich Security Conference. “But it’s his choice,” Biden added. After his speech, Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour that he had breakfast in Kiev and will have dinner in Kiev; he does not leave Ukraine for more than a few hours.
Amanpour also asked Zelenskyy that the US had predicted a Russian attack on Ukraine for last Wednesday and now again for the coming days. Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine has been in this conflict for years and sees no reason to panic. He called the Russian claim that Ukraine had shelled Russian territory a lie. There are numerous provocations in the occupied areas, which are also dangerous in view of the large number of troops there. “We have to stay calm and behave like adults.”
Zelenskyy rejected an assessment of the intelligence information behind the US announcements. He emphasized that Ukraine is not fooling itself, “we know what can happen tomorrow”. However, the Ukrainians are not prepared to lie down in coffins and wait for the arrival of foreign soldiers for fear of danger. He is also concerned with the stability of the currency and the economy. He asked rhetorically what would happen if the Ukrainians stormed the banks and withdrew all their money.
“If you’re afraid, give us credit”
Ukraine needs weapons, money and investments, said Zelenskyy. “If you’re scared, give us cheap credit,” he added, noting that investment in Ukraine’s economy is declining amid the Russian threat.
On the fringes of the conference, Zelenskyi met with Chancellor Scholz and US Vice President Kamala Harris. He expects “concrete agreements on the provision of additional military and financial support for our country,” his office said.
He opened his speech by saying that Ukraine longs for peace and Europe longs for peace. “The world says it doesn’t want war, while Russia says it doesn’t want to intervene: someone is lying here.” At the end of his speech, he told of a Ukrainian soldier who was shot dead on the contact line to the separatist areas in the morning. This man knew who was lying.