Russia is testing how far it can go, and that is why a joint and fast response to its actions is essential. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during his online participation in the annual Warsaw Security Forum.
The Head of State thanked the audience for their attention to Ukraine and for understanding that the challenges faced by nations require collective solutions.
The President also congratulated Moldova, where pro-European forces won the parliamentary elections, stressing that this victory happened without decoupling.
“It’s important too that a former oligarch, who kept that country and our whole region in the shadows of dirty schemes, was finally extradited to Moldova. This act of justice and European cooperation matters not only for Moldova but for everyone in Europe,” the Head of State added.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted how different this situation is compared with that of Georgia, which in many ways is lost to Europe today.
“Maybe one day it will return, but for that, Europe must not close its eyes to what is happening there – and in Belarus. Every gain for Russia in our region is always a loss for Europe. That is why we cannot afford to lose a single day or a single country. After Moldova’s elections, we must keep supporting Moldova,” the Head of State emphasized.
He noted that it is important not to forget the long-term political goals while at the same time responding to the immediate threats. The President underlined that Russia’s drone strike on Poland, incidents with Russian UAVs in Northern Europe, and violations of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets have been a test for NATO.
“Russia is testing how far it can go. It wants to shift attention away from the brutal war it continues against Ukraine. Then come the voices asking if Ukraine gets “too much” support, or if Russia would calm down with less attention to Ukraine. These are false voices. Almost all security threats in Europe today come from Russia’s destructive actions, from the war Putin refuses to end,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
The President stressed that Russia’s actions must be met with a joint, fast response, leaving no opportunities unused.
“Ukraine proposes to Poland and all our partners to build a joint, truly reliable shield against Russian aerial threats. And this is possible. Ukraine can counter all types of Russian drones and missiles, and if we act together in the region, we will have enough weapons and production capacity for this. If Russia loses the ability to strike in the skies, it will be unable to continue the war and will have to look for other ways to coexist,” the Head of State said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that there is growing evidence that Russia may have used tankers in the Baltic Sea to launch drones – the drones that caused major disruption in Northern Europe.
“If tankers used by Russia are serving as drone platforms, then such tankers should not be free to operate in the Baltic. This is de facto Russia’s military activity against European countries, so Europe has the right to close straits and sea routes to protect itself,” the President stressed.
Ukraine expects the 19th EU sanctions package soon. It must be strong – to pressure Russia and to show America that Europe will not do less than the United States of America and President Trump. Europe also needs to move much faster on Russian assets, using them for defense and rebuilding Ukraine.
Separately, Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Poland and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was present at the forum, for years of support on Ukraine’s path toward the European Union. The Head of State underscored that EU membership is part of the security guarantees not only for Ukraine but for the entire eastern flank, since any geopolitical vacuum is always an invitation to Russian aggression.