Wednesday 19 / February / 2025
Munich: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the creation of a European Army in response to Russia's military build-up, Politico reported.
In his speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), Zelenskyy also raised suspicion of a possibility that the US might say "no" to Europe on issues that might pose a threat to it.
"I really believe that the time has come for Europe to create its own armed forces, " the Ukrainian President said. He added, "Let's be honest, now we can't rule out that America might say 'no' to Europe on issues that might threaten it."
According to a Politico report, Zelenskyy stressed that Europe needed to unite and have a single foreign and defence policy that would show the US that the bloc is serious about its own security.
He said, "Europe has everything it takes. It just needs to come together and start acting so that no one can say 'no' to it, boss it around, or treat it like a pushover."
He said that despite facing battlefield losses, Russian President Vladimir Putin is adding 150,000 soldiers to his armed forces, which is said to be larger than the majority of European armies, and is opening army recruitment offices every week.
Zelenskyy said, "Oil prices are still high enough for him to ignore the world."
Ukrainian President said his intelligence services "have clear intel that this summer Russia plans to send troops to Belarus under the pretext of training exercises," adding that might be the beginning of operations against neighbouring European nations.
NATO's military committee chair, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said the alliance was unable to confirm Zelenskyy's warning about Belarus. He said, "I believe that Western intelligence agencies are perfectly active in this, so I would expect confirmations."
In his speech, Zelenskyy called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "pathological liar" and added that he cannot offer real security guarantees. He said that Ukraine would "never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement."
He said, "Putin cannot offer real security guarantees. Not just because he is a pathological liar but because Russia, in its current state, needs war to hold power together. And the world must be protected from that," according to a Politico report.
Zelenskyy insisted Ukraine has a future in the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO). His remarks came despite statements from US President Donald Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that NATO membership for Ukraine is off the table in any final peace deal.
Ukrainian President said, "I also will not take NATO membership for Ukraine off the table." He further said, "But right now, the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin because his whims have the power to block NATO decisions."
Zelenskyy said that a Russian drone hit the sarcophagus of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor carrying at least 15 kilograms of explosives just hours before the Munich Security Conference (MSC) started. He said, "This is not just madness, this is Russia's stance," Zelenskyy said. "A country that launches such attacks does not want peace."
