Zelenski will press EU leaders for more weapons and membership talks – #Zelenski #press #leaders #weapons #membership #talks
BRUSSELS, February 9 (Reuters) – Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky to Brussels on Thursday Europe is making a mini-tour of their capitals, with the goal of pushing EU leaders to more weapons in the fight against Russian aggression and to quickly start EU accession talks.
To London and Paris on Wednesday trip during Zelensky’s visit to the Belgian capital European Union leaders will participate in the summit and Europe He is expected to speak in the Parliament.
Although it is difficult to immediately make promises to satisfy Zelensky’s wishes, trip it is the first time since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, nearly a year ago, that all 27 EU national gives a chance to discuss his case with the leader personally. .
In recent weeks, the West has won the promises of battle tanks Ukraine officials are now focusing on longer-range missiles and fighter jets.
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Western governments have so far rejected requests for the jets, arguing that Ukraine does not need the planes and that it would take years to train Ukrainian pilots to fly them.
However, Zelensky from Britain on Wednesday Ukraine to the pilots NATO undertook to conduct training to fly fighters according to its standards. London said it had not yet decided whether to supply such aircraft, however Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table”.
TASS news agency news reports that the Russian embassy in Britain warned London not to send fighter jets to Ukraine, saying that such a step would have consequences for the whole world.
Zelensky on Wednesday evening President of France He arrived in Paris for dinner with Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Returning to his familiar theme, he said that his country has the ability to be a “game changer” without hesitating to deliver heavy weapons and modern fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian official said that Zelensky wants the leaders at the European Council summit to increase the supply of ammunition.
“We need the support of the Council of Europe to accelerate the supply of weapons to Ukraine,” the official said.
The official, who did not want to be named, said: “Since yesterday, we are in dire need of long-range artillery and all types of artillery ammunition.”
“Battle tanks – the decision has been taken by several member states, but we don’t have tanks yet. It should be accelerated,” the official said.
In the matter of joining the EU, Ukrainian officials are trying to hold membership negotiations for months. “I am sending a clear message to Brussels: Ukraine belongs to the European family,” Scholz said in Paris on Wednesday. of Ukraine he shook his head in concern.
The Ukrainian official said that Ukraine is “fully confident that a decision will be made to start accession negotiations this year.”
However, while some EU member states are interested in providing moral support to Ukraine through the accession negotiations, others are more cautious. They stressed that prospective members must meet a number of criteria – such as fighting corruption – before even starting negotiations.
“Ukraine, for example, cannot be given a special status above the Western Balkan countries, which are in the process of accession and are going through all the difficulties,” said the EU diplomat. “We can’t say to the Western Balkans, ‘Well, we need to be at war to enter the EU.'”
Reporting by Andrew Gray, Gabriela Baczynska and Philip Blenkinsop; Edited by Diane Craft and Cynthia Osterman
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-09 05:18:51
Source – reuters
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