Ukraine warns against complacency in the face of Russian threat
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned the Ukrainian public not to be complacent in the face of an expected Russian aggression and called on Western allies to accelerate their support to Kyiv.
of President of Ukraine He said he had seen signs that some cities were lowering their guard despite ongoing hostilities.
“Everyone needs to understand that we are at war. It’s not over yet,” he said at a press conference after a summit with senior EU officials on Friday. “The resilience of all of us rests on both our weapons and our motivation.
Ukraine is bracing for escalating hostilities as Russia’s full-scale aggression marks its first anniversary on February 24. bahmutPresident Vladimir Putin is aiming for his first significant battlefield victory since early summer last year. Zelensky insisted on Friday that he would not back down, calling Bakhmut a “fortress”.
He cites alleged atrocities at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and bolsters support for his European partners, including imposing sanctions on senior management of Russian nuclear company Rosatom. urged to
Zelensky called on the EU to speed up the process for Ukraine’s accession. This was a recurring theme during meetings with Brussels officials on Thursday and Friday.
He said the Ukrainian army has a chance to counter the Russian offensive if allies supply it with suitable weapons.
The US on Friday was expected to announce that Send long range smart bombs to Ukraine. But Washington is resisting Kyiv’s plea for an Army tactical missile system with an even longer range of 185 miles, fearing it will draw NATO into direct conflict with Russia.
In Berlin, the German government announced on Friday that it had approved the export of obsolete Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. This comes days after it announced it would send more advanced Leopard 2 models and allow other European countries to send their tanks. But it will take months to put these tanks on the ground.
Norway said on Friday it had bought 54 new Leopard tanks and had the option to buy 18 more, but gave no details on how many of its 40-year-old tanks could be offered to Ukraine. I didn’t. Oslo’s center-left government is buying tanks against the advice of its own army chief, who recommended bolstering air defenses instead.
Additional report by Guy Chazan in Berlin and Richard Milne in Oslo
https://www.ft.com/content/f4eb3b03-21e8-4b03-ac70-a97a108f2d65 Ukraine warns against complacency in the face of Russian threat