The Ukrainian president sets his conditions with a view to future negotiations with Russia to end the war.
In order to approach them from a position of strength, he calls for more weapons and a rapprochement between kyiv and NATO.
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SENDING TROOPS TO UKRAINE
Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, does not rule out sending foreign troops to Ukraine. According to her, Europe could play a role.
“So far, the discussion has revolved around which countries would be ready to send soldiers to Ukraine and which would not. I think that nothing can be ruled out and that a certain strategic ambiguity must be maintained in this matter “.
“PUTIN COULD ATTACK UKRAINE AGAIN”
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin could attack again in 3 to 5 years, if the conflict is not frozen.
“In order to avoid a second invasion, it is necessary to strengthen Ukraine by implementing the points of the Victory Plan. This includes, in particular, the transfer of a sufficient number of long-range missiles and an invitation to NATO,” the Ukrainian president requested.
NO MEMBERSHIP IN NATO WITHOUT THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine would not agree to join NATO without the occupied territories: “There cannot be an invitation to join NATO for part of the Ukrainian territory. This is an automatic recognition that not only are all other territories in danger, but also that the other territories are not Ukrainian. Therefore, Ukraine will never accept it. an invitation, then only all territories.”
At the same time, the Ukrainian president said he understood that article 5 could not apply during the war on the entire Ukrainian territory: “But we understand that the 5th amendment (referring to article 5 of the Treaty of North Atlantic), being a member of NATO, cannot act during the war on the entire territory of Ukraine, because the countries are against the risks of involving them in the war”, said declared the president.”
The Ukrainian president assured Sunday that his country needed more weapons and security guarantees from NATO before possible negotiations with Russia to put an end to the invasion of Ukraine launched in 2022.
Volodymyr Zelensky was speaking after a meeting with the new head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, and the new president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, both on a symbolic visit of support to kyiv on the first day of their mandate.
This trip comes at a time when tensions are at their highest between Moscow and the West after strikes by Ukraine of American and British missiles on Russian soil and the firing by Russia of an experimental hypersonic missile and nuclear threats.
As calls to begin negotiations with Moscow become more pressing, including from kyiv's allies, Mr. Zelensky assured that his country needed “weapons, including a good number or sufficient number of long-range weapons, of different types”.
He also spoke of the need for a “step forward with NATO”. “Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO is necessary for our survival”he pleaded, while Moscow claims to have launched its invasion to prevent in particular a rapprochement between kyiv and the Atlantic Alliance. “Only when we have all these elements and we are strong will we have to establish … the agenda for the meeting with the assassins.”
