On Thursday 19 December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for unity between the European Union and the United States to “save” his country and stop Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Donald Trump's return to power makes the future of US support uncertain.
Hoping that Mr Trump - “a strong man” - will stand by Ukraine, Mr Zelensky explained that it was “very important, especially from the beginning of next year, to have great unity between the United States, the EU and the European countries”.
For him, without this unity, there can be no just peace for his country. “I think only together - the United States and Europe - can really stop Putin and save Ukraine”, he explained, adding that Mr Putin is " crazy " because he "loves to kill ". According to the Ukrainian President, for the United States to exert maximum pressure, Europe must adopt a clear position.
Mr Zelensky said that Europe and the United States should be at the negotiating table when the time comes.
In its conclusions, the European Council underlined the principle that “no initiative regarding Ukraine be taken without Ukraine”. “The EU is united in its support for Ukraine for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, not just any peace, not capitulation. Only Ukraine can define what peace means and when and if the conditions for negotiations have been met. This is not the time to speculate on scenarios, but to strengthen Ukraine to deal with all scenarios, stressed the President of the European Council, António Costa.
Security guarantees. The Ukrainian president stressed the need for security guarantees for his country, pointing out that European guarantees alone would not be enough.
“For us, the real guarantees in any case - today or in the future - are NATO”, he stressed. “ Can you imagine that in two months, Putin will come back, in six months, in one year, in two years? Who will lose? Everybody. Everybody will lose. I don’t want to, because then I don’t know what we’ll do. We need a real plan, a strong position, and I'm counting on unity between the EU and the United States”, warned the Ukrainian President.
“We want peace, but we want to be sure of the security guarantees that will protect us in the future”, he stressed, while refusing to specify what these guarantees might be.
Mr Zelensky supported the possibility of France sending a military contingent to Ukraine after a ceasefire, although he said that all the details would have to be worked out.
Several European leaders, such as the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, stated that such a hypothesis was premature, and even that it was “inappropriate " to discuss now " what should follow as third and fourth stages".
Mr Zelensky opposed the Christmas truce proposed by the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. “We cannot live with a frozen conflict on our territory. We need to know what’s going to happen the next day. That’s why we need security guarantees. We want a stable peace, but Russia is not interested and is showing it”, stressed the Ukrainian leader as the Russian air attacks on Ukraine continued.
“We reject all calls for a ceasefire and a rapid peace without additional guarantees and without being clear about what will happen next, said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Continued support. “Europe must do everything in its power to put Ukraine in a position of strength so that Russia is forced to negotiate", according to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Once again, Mr Zelensky called for weapons and air defence systems to be sent and for equipment to be sent - as a matter of urgency - to the Ukrainian brigades.
Support also involves strengthening the European and Ukrainian defence industries. “We are united by the expansion of economic cooperation, particularly in the development of our defence industries”, emphasised Mr Zelensky. In its conclusions, the European Council underlined “the importance of intensifying work to further support and develop Ukraine’s defence industry and to deepen its cooperation with the EU defence industry”.
In short, “the supply of weapons, increased production and the strengthening of sanctions against Russia to push it towards diplomacy will be essential next year”, warned Mr Zelensky. He said he hoped that his country opens all the ‘clusters’ of chapters as part of the negotiations to join the EU in 2025.
To see the conclusions of the European Council: https://aeur.eu/f/ewi (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)