Zelensky: No ceasefire without security guarantees

The situation at a glance

Zelensky: No ceasefire without security guarantees

In the defensive battle against the Russian army, the Ukrainian president rejects an unconditional ceasefire. And he has an idea for new weapons purchases.

A ceasefire in the war with Russia is out of the question for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky without security guarantees for Ukraine. “A ceasefire will come when the state that is at war, especially the victim, knows that it will have security guarantees,” the head of state said at a press conference in Budapest, where he was attending the European Political Community (EPG) summit on Thursday ) had occurred. Lip service is not enough.

It is also “nonsense” to reject Ukraine’s accession to NATO and at the same time call for a ceasefire, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is doing. “Therefore, a leader who calls for a ceasefire but opposes security guarantees is simply a sugarcopper,” said Zelensky.

He described the calls by some leaders for a ceasefire as “very dangerous rhetoric.” “First a ceasefire and then we’ll see. Who are you (to demand such a thing)? Are your children dying, your houses being destroyed? What are we talking about here?” the president asked. The ceasefires in the eastern Ukrainian Donbass agreed after 2014 were only preparation for the full Russian invasion. This will lead to the continued occupation of Ukraine and destroy Ukrainian sovereignty. According to him, only “sofa experts” who only know wars from books or films can demand this.

There are calls for a ceasefire not only in Europe, but also from Brazil and China. “And what is important is that we also hear this from Russia. This is an excellent model for the Russian Federation,” he added. Without a clear plan for what happens afterwards, stopping the fighting would be irresponsible.

On Thursday evening, the Russian military attacked the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa and the surrounding area with combat drones. Explosions were heard in the city, the Ukrinform news agency reported. According to military governor Oleh Kiper, there were at least two injured. Several houses burned, he wrote on Telegram. There was also damage to the facade of a school and to two gas pipes in the city.

There were also attacks in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on Telegram that at least 13 people were injured after a 12-story high-rise building was hit. Several floors were destroyed.

The Ukrainian Air Force warned of Russian drone attacks in other areas. An air alert was in effect for hours in large parts of the country, including the capital Kiev. For weeks, the Russian military has been attacking targets deep in the Ukrainian hinterland with dozens of combat drones every day.

Zelenskyj also claimed billions of Russian dollars confiscated in the European Union and other countries. “Can we take this 300 billion (US dollars) that belongs to us? Can we take the 300 billion, support our people and use this money to buy weapons in all countries in the world?” asked the head of state in Budapest. This is an answer to the question of what Kiev could do if the USA under elected President Donald Trump stopped supporting Ukraine.

In addition, it is only fair since the destruction caused by Russia in Ukraine amounts to many times the amount confiscated. A “strong Europe” would not only look to Washington, but would also “make a strong decision” and give the money to Ukraine.

At the same time, Zelensky called for sanctions against Russia to be tightened, citing as an example the oil tankers of a “Russian shadow fleet” that sail unhindered through the waters of EU and NATO states. “Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ alone earned more in almost three years of war than all the world’s aid to Ukraine in this war combined,” he emphasized. Therefore, Ukraine cannot keep up with its war opponent financially.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than 200 billion euros in funds from the Russian central bank were frozen in several European Union states. Part of the interest income is intended to serve as security for a billion-dollar loan from the EU to Ukraine.

According to information from Kiev, there were the first casualties in battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in the Russian border area. “Yes, there are already losses. That’s a fact,” Zelensky said in Budapest, without giving details. According to him, some of the 11,000 North Korean soldiers in the Russian border region of Kursk are involved in fighting with the Ukrainian army.