Zelensky, after Putin's statement: “Another signal from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war”
Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo credit: dts Nachrichtenagentur / imago stock&people / Profimedia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of preparing for another “year of war” against Ukraine on Wednesday, after his Moscow counterpart Vladimir Putin said Russia will “liberate its territories” by military means if Kiev and its “masters” abandon the negotiations.
“Today, I heard another signal from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war,” the Ukrainian leader said in his message on Wednesday evening, as quoted by France 24.
Zelenskiy, who will attend a summit of European leaders on Thursday, called on Ukraine's allies to provide support for Kiev and show Russia that it was “useless” to continue the war.
“The result of these meetings – the result for Europe – must be such that Russia feels that its desire to continue the fight next year will be useless, because Ukraine will have support,” the Ukrainian president added.
In Brussels on Thursday, he will try to persuade European partners to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, even as Washington pressures EU countries not to resort to such a plan, a senior Ukrainian official revealed to AFP.
“The US administration is pressuring European countries to abandon the idea of using Russian assets to support Ukraine,” the source said, adding that Zelenskiy “will go to Brussels to motivate European countries to adopt this decision.”
What Vladimir Putin had declared
On Wednesday, the Russian leader expressed confidence that the goals of the “special military operation,” the Kremlin's term for the war in Ukraine, “will be achieved.” He said Russia would “liberate its territories” through military means if Kiev and its “masters” abandon the negotiations, according to Reuters.
Putin claims that Russian forces have taken the strategic initiative along the entire front line in Ukraine and has vowed to expand Moscow's so-called security buffer zone.
He called Ukraine's allies on the continent “European piggy banks” and claimed they wanted to take advantage of a possible collapse of Russia and get “revenge” for past losses.
“They thought that they would destroy and destroy Russia in a short time. And the European pigs immediately joined the action of the previous American administration (of President Joe Biden n.ed.), with the hope of profiting from the collapse of our country, to recover what they lost in previous historical periods and to take revenge”, Vladimir Putin said, on Wednesday, during a meeting of the command of the Russian army, EFE reports, according to Agerpres.
