2024-01-17 03:00:00
Volodimir Zelensky, president of Ukraine, spoke at the Davos Economic Forum (Hannes P. Albert/dpa)
Volodimir Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, whom he described as a “predator”, of being responsible for several of the wars and conflicts that are still in force today and warned once more that Ukraine is only the first step in aspirations. Russian expansionists.
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“Putin embodies war. We all know that he is the only reason why several wars and conflicts persist, and why all attempts to restore peace have failed. He will not change,” said the Ukrainian president during his speech at the World Economic Forum being held in Davos these days.
“Their response to the duration of war is always war (…) Their response to the limits of chaos in the world is unlimited support of terrorist forces. Enjoy conflicts,” Zelensky noted, at a time when voices are increasing urging kyiv to sit down to negotiate.
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The president assured that Putin interfered for years in Africa and Syria and allied himself with regimes such as North Korea or Iran with the aim of perpetuating himself. “Regimes like yours exist while they fight wars,” he said.
In that sense, and in line with what he has been defending since the beginning of the invasion, Zelensky urged the “free world” to continue its support for Ukraine, since a “new Russian aggression beyond” it is “every more obvious.”
Zelensky called Putin a “predator” (EUROPA PRESS/ARCHIVE)
“If anyone thinks this is just regarding Ukraine, they are wrong (…) If we must fight Putin together in the years to come, isn’t it better to put an end to him and his war strategy now?” he asked. at the same time he stressed that Ukraine is “that opportunity” to stop “the catastrophe.”
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Zelensky also took advantage of his intervention to reproach his partners for, before and following the invasion of February 24, 2022, insisting to Ukraine on the need not to increase tensions. That, he regretted, gave Putin reasons to continue with his campaign.
“Every ‘do not escalate’ to us sounded like ‘you will prevail’ to Putin. We asked for new types of weapons and the answer was ‘not to intensify’ (…) A Russian missile fell on NATO territory; the answer once more was ‘don’t escalate’, but retaliation at that time might have taught Russia a lot and would have added the necessary confidence to the West,” he asserted.
“The full force of the sanctions might have forced Putin to make concessions. Due to ‘not stepping up’, time was lost. The lives of many of our most experienced warriors were lost,” he added.
Thus, he criticized that many of these sanctions have been delayed “for months” and “even years” due to “threats from Moscow” that were later not fulfilled. And while he welcomed the restrictions that have been imposed, he has questioned how he might be happy if Russian missiles contain “Western components.”
Zelensky said that Putin is “the only reason why several wars and conflicts persist” (EUROPA PRESS)
“It is a clear weakness of the West that the Russian nuclear industry is still not under global sanctions, even though Putin is the only terrorist in the world who took a nuclear power plant hostage,” he noted.
Likewise, he called on his partners to be brave by 2024 and allow frozen Russian assets to be used for the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine. “Putin loves money above all else” and “the more billions he and his accomplices lose, the more likely he will regret this war,” Zelensky said.
On the other hand, he warned how negative it would be for Ukraine to freeze the conflict, recalling how that already happened in 2014 in the Donbas region, leading to the annexation of Crimea. “There were very influential people in that process,” she said, pointing out without mentioning the “then chancellor of Germany,” Angela Merkel, and “the presidents of France.”
Likewise, Zelensky highlighted the work of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the war, which once morest all odds, he highlighted, have repelled numerous Russian offensives. According to him, this response should be enough for kyiv’s partners to continue supplying the weapons they need.
Zelensky highlighted the work of the Ukrainian Army during the Russian invasion (EUROPA PRESS/ARCHIVE)
“We must achieve air superiority for Ukraine, just as we have achieved superiority in the Black Sea. We can do it. The partners know what is needed and in what quantities,” he stated.
Zelensky ended his speech by insisting on the need to not relent in the pressure once morest Putin, since doing so will prolong the conflict. “Investing in the defender shortens the war,” he commented.
And he concluded: “The war will end with a just and stable peace. I want you to be part of this peace, starting now. We need them in Ukraine to build, rebuild and restore our lives. “Each of you can be even more successful with Ukraine.”
(With information from Europa Press)
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