UA
FR
DEThe security of Europe now depends on the speed and volume of the supply of weapons and ammunition to support Ukraine in restoring territorial integrity and peace.
“Russia’s defeat is a guarantee of normal life for Europe. There is no more important task now. To achieve it, Ukraine needs more weapons and ammunition, and all this should be delivered as soon as possible,” Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
Kuleba emphasised that the side with better logistics and supplies has a better chance of winning the war. He called on European colleagues to speed up supplies and ensure Ukraine’s decisive advantage over Russia on the battlefield.
“We have a common strategic goal: to ensure peace in Europe for future generations. This goal now depends on the speed of your decisions and their implementation. Let’s remove all the paper walls. Overcome all procedural obstacles. Speed up every process. Eliminate any delays between the decision to provide weapons and their arrival at the border of Ukraine,” he urged.
The minister outlined short-term, medium-term, and long-term military needs. He urged that Ukraine be provided with more armoured vehicles, tanks and artillery systems, long-range artillery and ammunition, to strengthen Ukraine’s air and missile defence and to integrate it with neighbouring EU countries as soon as possible. And also to immediately begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets and enable the provision of Western-made combat aircraft to Ukraine.
In the medium term, the minister asked European colleagues to increase the capacity of logistics and repair hubs, to continue and expand training programmes for the Ukrainian military, and to cover ammunition needs, thanks to increased production volumes.
In the long run, Ukraine’s top diplomat suggested focusing on developing a common defence policy that would include Ukraine as an integral component.
“It is exactly 14 months since the beginning of the biggest political and security earthquake in our life and the recent history of Europe. No one expected such a scale of aggression; no one expected that Ukraine would withstand the blow and the EU would demonstrate such unity and strength. We have to prove that Putin is mistaken, thinking that he can wait out our strength, that we will ‘blink’ first, that our resolve will waver before his aggression. No, we will not retreat, and we will not get tired. We will not falter. He will falter,” the minister concluded.
Natalia Tolub
