(Kiev) Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky called on the European Union on Monday to remain united against Russia, in an interview with the President of the European Council and after controversial statements by German officials.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Mr Zelensky “stressed that, for Ukraine, it was important to preserve the unity of all EU member countries in protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of his country, against the background for fear of a Russian invasion, according to a press release from the Ukrainian presidency.
“Ukraine will not give in to provocations, but, on the contrary, it will keep calm with its partners,” he added, while Moscow once again accused Kiev on Monday of preparing an offensive against pro-Russian separatists. east of this country.
German admiral sent to retirement
The statements follow an outcry over the head of the German Navy, who called the idea that Russia could invade Ukraine “inane” and said Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably” deserved respect.
PHOTO MANOHAR PARRIKAR INSTITUTE FOR D, VIA REUTERS
German Navy Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach has been forced to resign after his remarks on the Ukraine-Russia conflict during a lecture on ‘Germany’s Indo-Pacific Strategy’ at the Manohar Parrikar Institute in Defense Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi, India on January 21, 2022.
The Ukrainian government’s irritation is also fueled by Germany’s persistent refusal to supply arms to Ukraine, a position that country considers likely to “encourage” Russia.
These positions angered many Ukrainians, including the mayor of Kiev and former world boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko, a celebrity in Germany where he lived for years.
Sounds like betraying a friend. So my question to the German government is: which side are you on? Are you on the side of freedom and therefore on the side of Ukraine? Or do you stand with the aggressor?
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on Facebook.
“In the eyes of the Ukrainians, Germany is becoming more and more the accomplice of the Russian aggressor” and “it’s a real disaster” for relations with Berlin, for its part judged in a tribune the influential website European Pradva, specializing in international politics.
The United States, the United Kingdom and the Baltic countries have for their part announced the shipment of weapons to Ukraine. Traditionally reluctant, since the Second World War, to any military commitment, Germany considers that this type of support would only aggravate tensions.