Munich: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Friday urged allies to speed up arms shipments to defeat China russian invasionwarning world leaders gathered in Munich that indecisiveness and delay threaten their security as well.
compare war in ukraine for one David-vs-Goliath conflict For independence, Zelensky said Russia was creating havoc and plotting to “strangle” Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova, while Western leaders dragged their feet on key decisions.
while addressing Munich Security Conference Via video link in his trademark khaki green jumper, Zelensky said it was “obvious” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had set their sights on other former Soviet countries.
Zelensky, referring to the Biblical story, said, “Determination is never abstract. David defeated Goliath not by the power of words, but by the power of his actions.”
“The delay has always been and still is a mistake,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky was speaking at the start of the conference, where hundreds of politicians, military officials and diplomats from around the world gathered to discuss Europe’s changed security landscape since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.
Zelensky’s appearance at the same event in 2022 came days before the outbreak of war. As on previous occasions, he expressed his gratitude for Western help with scathing comments that such help should have come sooner.
In particular, Ukraine is seeking fighter jets and advanced battle tanks earlier than expected russian offensive in the spring.
Zelensky said of Putin, “It is clear that Ukraine will not be his last stop. He will continue his agitation by all means … including all other states that were once part of the Soviet bloc.”
The war reignited long-standing debates such as how much Europe should build up its military capability, how much it should rely on the United States for its security, and how much governments should spend on defense Needed
Delegates at the annual gathering focused on defense and diplomacy will also discuss the war’s global impact on issues ranging from energy supplies to food prices.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President Kamala Harris are among those attending the Friday-Sunday summit.
Scholz, whose own government has faced criticism over slow arms deliveries to Ukraine, on Friday urged other European countries to help send tanks to Kiev after Germany committed to ship its Leopard 2 vehicles. Speed up.
not invited to moscow
As Russian troops piled up on Ukraine’s borders last year, Western leaders in Munich urged Putin not to invade and warned of dire consequences for doing so, while Zelensky sought to appease Moscow. I criticized what I saw.
This year, leaders will have to deal with the dire consequences of Putin’s decision to ignore their pleas and launch Europe’s most devastating war since World War II.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the conference, “My main message to the people of Ukraine is that NATO allies and partners, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it is necessary.” “We will not allow President Putin to win this war, it will be a tragedy for Ukraine, but also dangerous for us.”
Stoltenberg also said that China was watching the conflict closely, which would influence decisions in Beijing and was another reason for NATO countries to stand together.
The conference has sometimes served as a barometer of relations between Russia and the West, most notably in 2007 when Putin criticized the United States in a speech that is now widely seen as a hardline stance against liberal democracies. is seen as the forerunner of
This year, the Russian leader will be notable by his absence.
Conference chairman Christoph Huygen, a German diplomat, said the organizers had not invited any Russian officials because Putin had “broken with decency”.
Moscow, however, made its voices heard from afar, accusing Washington of provoking Ukraine to escalate the conflict and saying that the United States was now directly involved in the war because “madmen” had dreams of defeating Russia.
A US delegation of record size is expected at the conference, including Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a third of the members of the US Senate.
The conference will also highlight to Western leaders that much of the rest of the world does not see things their way.
Efforts to get African, Asian and Latin American leaders to isolate Moscow have often faltered due to Russia’s diplomatic and economic clout and anger in the Global South because the West has shown little interest in the conflict and injustice there. Is.
The conference will also cover relations between the West and China.
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi is expected to attend and Blinken plans to meet him there, in what would be their first face-to-face talks since the United States shot down a Chinese spy balloon and other flying objects .
More than 40 heads of state and 60 ministers were expected to attend the conference, which took place on a day of massive strike action at German airports, including Munich. While government aircraft could land at the airport, delegates traveling on commercial flights faced disruption.
compare war in ukraine for one David-vs-Goliath conflict For independence, Zelensky said Russia was creating havoc and plotting to “strangle” Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova, while Western leaders dragged their feet on key decisions.
while addressing Munich Security Conference Via video link in his trademark khaki green jumper, Zelensky said it was “obvious” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had set their sights on other former Soviet countries.
Zelensky, referring to the Biblical story, said, “Determination is never abstract. David defeated Goliath not by the power of words, but by the power of his actions.”
“The delay has always been and still is a mistake,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky was speaking at the start of the conference, where hundreds of politicians, military officials and diplomats from around the world gathered to discuss Europe’s changed security landscape since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.
Zelensky’s appearance at the same event in 2022 came days before the outbreak of war. As on previous occasions, he expressed his gratitude for Western help with scathing comments that such help should have come sooner.
In particular, Ukraine is seeking fighter jets and advanced battle tanks earlier than expected russian offensive in the spring.
Zelensky said of Putin, “It is clear that Ukraine will not be his last stop. He will continue his agitation by all means … including all other states that were once part of the Soviet bloc.”
The war reignited long-standing debates such as how much Europe should build up its military capability, how much it should rely on the United States for its security, and how much governments should spend on defense Needed
Delegates at the annual gathering focused on defense and diplomacy will also discuss the war’s global impact on issues ranging from energy supplies to food prices.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President Kamala Harris are among those attending the Friday-Sunday summit.
Scholz, whose own government has faced criticism over slow arms deliveries to Ukraine, on Friday urged other European countries to help send tanks to Kiev after Germany committed to ship its Leopard 2 vehicles. Speed up.
not invited to moscow
As Russian troops piled up on Ukraine’s borders last year, Western leaders in Munich urged Putin not to invade and warned of dire consequences for doing so, while Zelensky sought to appease Moscow. I criticized what I saw.
This year, leaders will have to deal with the dire consequences of Putin’s decision to ignore their pleas and launch Europe’s most devastating war since World War II.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the conference, “My main message to the people of Ukraine is that NATO allies and partners, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it is necessary.” “We will not allow President Putin to win this war, it will be a tragedy for Ukraine, but also dangerous for us.”
Stoltenberg also said that China was watching the conflict closely, which would influence decisions in Beijing and was another reason for NATO countries to stand together.
The conference has sometimes served as a barometer of relations between Russia and the West, most notably in 2007 when Putin criticized the United States in a speech that is now widely seen as a hardline stance against liberal democracies. is seen as the forerunner of
This year, the Russian leader will be notable by his absence.
Conference chairman Christoph Huygen, a German diplomat, said the organizers had not invited any Russian officials because Putin had “broken with decency”.
Moscow, however, made its voices heard from afar, accusing Washington of provoking Ukraine to escalate the conflict and saying that the United States was now directly involved in the war because “madmen” had dreams of defeating Russia.
A US delegation of record size is expected at the conference, including Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a third of the members of the US Senate.
The conference will also highlight to Western leaders that much of the rest of the world does not see things their way.
Efforts to get African, Asian and Latin American leaders to isolate Moscow have often faltered due to Russia’s diplomatic and economic clout and anger in the Global South because the West has shown little interest in the conflict and injustice there. Is.
The conference will also cover relations between the West and China.
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi is expected to attend and Blinken plans to meet him there, in what would be their first face-to-face talks since the United States shot down a Chinese spy balloon and other flying objects .
More than 40 heads of state and 60 ministers were expected to attend the conference, which took place on a day of massive strike action at German airports, including Munich. While government aircraft could land at the airport, delegates traveling on commercial flights faced disruption.