When the weapons run out
Foreign Minister: Ukraine will also “fight with shovels”
January 16, 2024, 1:57 p.m
At the beginning of the war, the West and Russia were surprised by the Ukrainians’ willingness to resist. Even now this is unbroken, everything seems better than Russian occupation. “Even if we run out of weapons, we will fight with shovels,” said Foreign Minister Kuleba.
In view of the crumbling international support, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has asked the USA in particular for further military aid and emphasized his compatriots’ willingness to fight. “Whatever the price of supporting Ukraine now, the price of cleaning up chaos in the world in the event of a Ukrainian defeat will be much higher,” Kuleba told the US broadcaster ABC News in an interview.
Even under the most difficult conditions, Ukraine will not surrender to Russia, the minister added: “Even if we run out of weapons, we will fight with shovels. Because what is at stake for Ukraine is the existence of this nation.” For possible peace negotiations with Russia, Kuleba said his country must first create a better starting position on the battlefield.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for almost two years now and is dependent on international solidarity. However, the granting of new military aid to the US, its most important supporter, is stuck in a domestic political dispute, which is causing Kiev great concern.
In Brussels, where aid to Ukraine is currently stalling, EU Economics Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni insisted on further support for the Eastern European country. “Of course we also demand the support of all international partners,” he said on the sidelines of a meeting of EU finance ministers on Tuesday. Economic aid for Ukraine is not just a European task.
A new Ukraine aid program worth 50 billion euros for the next four years was actually supposed to be agreed at the level of the EU member states at the summit in December. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed the decision. A special EU summit on how to proceed is now planned for February 1st. It is hoped in Brussels that Hungary will give up its resistance by then at the latest.