Ukrainian drones attacked the Smolensk aircraft factory in Russia. Europe must compete for primacy in priorities, alliances and technological development, Zelensky said in Davos. Zelensky: We want to end the war this year, but not just quickly, justly.
Ukrainian drones attack Smolensk aircraft factory in Russia
On the night of Tuesday January 21, Ukrainian drones attacked the Smolensk aircraft factory in Russia. This information was confirmed by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council (RNBO).
Kovalenko clarified that “this factory participates in the production and modernization of military aircraft, in particular Su-25 attack aircraft. It also provides major repair and technical maintenance of aircraft equipment, which allows Russia to maintain the operational capacity of obsolete aircraft models. » The consequences of this attack have not been reported.
According to Russian Telegram channels, drones also attacked an oil refinery in the town of Yartsevo, located in the Smolensk region, on the night of January 21. Drones also again struck an oil base in the town of Lisky, Voronezh region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had allegedly destroyed 55 Ukrainian drones over six different regions.
Europe must compete for primacy in priorities, alliances and technological development, says Zelensky in Davos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. During his speech, he spoke about the new American president Donald Trump and the changes that his mandate could bring. He believes that the United States is an irreplaceable ally for Europe, and that all Europeans are concerned about whether this will remain the case. At the same time, according to the president, no one in the United States cares whether Europe will remain their ally.
“Washington does not believe that Europe can offer them anything truly meaningful. I remember the Asian Security Summit last year in Singapore, the “Shangri-La Dialogue”. There, representatives of the American delegation openly declared that their main security priority was the Indo-Pacific region, second – the Middle East and the Gulf, and only third – Europe. And this was already under the previous administration,” Zelensky said.
He considers that Europe cannot afford to be in second or third position, nor to let the world move forward without it. According to him, Europe must fight to establish itself as a strong and indispensable player.
Zelensky stressed the importance of unity and a common security policy. “We need a common European security and defense policy, and all European countries must be prepared to spend as much on security as necessary, not as much as they were accustomed to during years of neglect. If defense requires 5% of GDP, then it must be 5%. “, he said.
-The president called on Europeans to invest in Ukraine’s defense industry, including the production of air defense systems, drones and artillery.
“Europe needs its own “Iron Dome”, capable of facing all threats. We cannot count on the goodwill of a few capitals when it comes to the security of Europe: whether it is Washington, Berlin, Paris, London, Rome, or – once Putin has left this world – of a hypothetical democrat in Moscow,” he believes.
He also stressed the importance of energy independence from Russia. Zelensky called on Europeans to be more active in the areas of technological development, particularly artificial intelligence.
“Today, TikTok’s algorithms are more powerful than some governments. Already, the fate of small countries depends more on the owners of technology companies than on their own laws,” he said.
Zelensky: We want to end the war this year, but not just quickly, but fairly
Ukraine aspires to end the war started by Russia, but not just quickly, but above all justly. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when answering a question from Børge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum in Davos, after his speech.
“Trump told me, and then expressed it publicly…that he will do everything to end the war this year. I told him we are your partner. This war is happening at home, we know all the pain points. We understand how much this hurts us, we lost our people (and this is our biggest loss).
“We want to end the war this year, but not just quickly, but above all in a fair and lasting way for all of us, for Ukrainians. So that they can return home, live safely and work. It seems to me that this is the most important. In any case, we will do everything for this,” declared the president.
