“Talks are underway in Brussels”
Selenskyj reports on fighter jet commitments
2/9/2023 4:53 p.m
In his government statement in the Bundestag, Chancellor Scholz makes it clear that he sees Ukraine’s requests for fighter jets as a “biding contest”. During his visit to Brussels, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyj seems to have found European heads of government who see things differently.
After his consultations with the European heads of state and government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy sees “positive signals” for further arms deliveries. “I heard about the willingness to send the necessary weapons, including fighter jets. We will now deepen this further in bilateral talks,” Zelenskyj said in a press conference. Selenskyj wanted to hold these consultations in Brussels, but the summit was temporarily interrupted for this purpose. “There are signals, but they have to be more specific,” said Zelenskyj. He couldn’t “come home without results”.
In the morning, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office wrote to Telegram that the controversial issue of the delivery of fighter jets and long-range weapons had been resolved. Shortly thereafter, Andriy Yermak revised his post and wrote that it could be solved. “Details will be provided later,” Zelenskyj’s office manager continued.
At the press conference, Selenskyj rated the meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening in Paris as “positive”. He will now work with Scholz and Macron to get even more tanks and other weapons. Scholz had on Wednesday morning in his speech in the Bundestag before a “outbidding competition” according to the motto: “Battle tanks, submarines, airplanes – who wants more?” Germany will not participate, said the SPD politician. In London, on the other hand, there were positive signals during Zelenskyj’s visit. The government is currently examining a fighter jet delivery.
Von der Leyen: No timetable for EU accession
Zelenskyy reiterated his desire for quick EU membership for Ukraine. “It’s one of the reasons we’re fighting for it,” he said. He hopes that negotiations will start later this year. “This year, that is 2023, dear Charles,” he said to EU Council President Charles Michel.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that there was “no fixed time frame” for this. Ukraine still has to “take important steps”, for example in the fight against corruption. That’s what she said at the EU-Ukraine summit last Friday in Kyiv. In the autumn, the commission intends to present a report on the required reforms in Ukraine. On this basis, the EU countries decide whether accession negotiations with Kyiv can be started. A decision can only be unanimous.