2.19.22
A standing ovation greeted Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he took the stage Saturday at the Munich Security Council, even as his embattled country braced for a potentially imminent Russian invasion. But the Ukrainian president had come not for plaudits but with demands that NATO and the European Union do more to help. In a fiery speech and interview, Zelenskyy called for immediate sanctions against Moscow, criticizing the Biden administration for merely threatening to implement the measures should Russia invade. “You are telling me that the war will start 100% in the next days?,” he said, citing U.S. President Joe Biden’s warning on Friday. “Then what are you waiting for?” Zelenskyy thanked allies for the military and financial contributions to Ukraine and pleaded for more—and added that he shouldn’t have to plead. “We equally appreciate the support but everyone needs to understand that this is not some kind of donation Ukraine should be…begging for,” he said. “This is your contribution to the European and international security for which Ukraine has been serving as a shield for eight years now.”
Beyond material support, the Ukrainian president asked both NATO and the European Union for straight answers about when ihis country might join as a member. He said neither body has been honest with his country, despite years of discussion and incremental steps. “Why are we avoiding this question?” he demanded of the EU, speaking through an interpreter. “Doesn't Ukraine deserve to have direct and frank answers?” Zelenskyy asked the same of NATO. “Be honest about it. Open doors are good, but we need open answers,” he said. The Biden administration had urged Zelenskyy to skip the summit, citing concerns. In Munich, he assured the audience that he would be back in Kiev in time for dinner.
www.defenseone.com
