President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at the Munich Security Conference. has collected the main statements of the Ukrainian president in Munich.
On Russian aggression
Zelenskyy said that the longer the Russian aggression lasts, the greater the global changes will be. Any outbreak of war will carry the risk of turning into a global catastrophe.”
According to him, the use of food or migration as a weapon could disrupt existing regional balances and undermine many political systems – not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East, Africa and America.
The President also noted that Europe is now on the verge of times when “the question of the application of Article 5 of the NATO Charter will not be a question to Washington, but will be a question to European capitals”.
On the formula for peace
“Putin must be deprived of any ability to manipulate anyone in the world, to restrict the activities of others. The world has a document that defines the basic principles of coexistence of nations – the UN Charter. Ukraine has proposed a Formula for Peace, which is based on the principles and norms of the UN Charter,” the President of Ukraine said.
He added that the first peace summit under the Ukrainian peace formula would be held in Switzerland.
On Avdiivka
In his speech, Zelenskyy mentioned Avdiivka, from which Ukrainian troops withdrew last night. He stressed that this was due to insufficient support for Ukraine from international partners.
“Ukraine can win. Our actions are limited only by the range and sufficiency of the means of destruction. But it depends not only on us. The situation in Avdiivka confirms this. Unfortunately, keeping Ukraine in an artificial deficit of weapons, in particular, in the deficit of artillery and long-range weapons, allows Putin to adapt to the intensity of hostilities,”
– the President said.
Later, in response to a question, Zelenskyy explained that the decision to withdraw from Avdiivka was correct, professional and fair, and aimed at preserving personnel.
On Putin
“After the assassination of Alexei Navalny, it is simply absurd to perceive Putin as the allegedly legitimate head of the Russian state. He is a scumbag who retains power through corruption and violence. To come to his so-called inauguration, shake his hand, consider him an equal is to despise the very nature of political power,”
– zelenskyy said.
He noted that Putin has only two possible outcomes:
“He has only two options ahead of him: to be in the dock in The Hague or to be killed by one of his own henchmen who are now killing for him.”
He also noted that 2024 is a critical year, and “if we don’t act now, Putin can make the next years catastrophic for the international community.”
On sanctions against Russia
“We need to close all the loopholes in the sanctions against Russia. There should be no sectors of Russia’s economy that are involved in its aggression but are free from sanctions. This applies primarily to the nuclear industry. And Russian assets that have already been frozen should be confiscated. And we need to go further – to find, freeze and securely pacify every dollar accumulated by Putin and his friends,”
– zelenskyy said.
On NATO membership
Ukraine’s main goal is to become a member of NATO, and our country will do everything to move closer to membership in the Alliance and strengthen relations with its allies, especially in security and armaments.
“Our goal is to be a member of NATO. I believe we deserve it. We will do everything to bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance,”
– Zelenskyy said.
He noted that inviting Ukraine to join NATO is an allied decision and that not all leaders support it yet. Therefore, work will continue in this direction.
On Trump
“We want all candidates to know what is really happening in the war. If Trump comes, I am ready to go to the front with him. If we are going to have a conversation about how to end the war, we need to show the decision-makers what a real war looks like. Not an Instagram war, but a real war,”
– zelensky said.
On refugees
The President thanked all the countries that have accepted Ukrainian refugees and support them.
“And if there are enough air defence systems in Ukraine, we will be able to bring home millions of Ukrainians, millions of our people, our refugees.”
Watch the video of Zelenskyy’s speech at the Munich Security Conference here.
Munich Security Conference
The 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC) is taking place in Germany on 16-18 February. Around 150 politicians from around the world will discuss global threats, including armed conflicts and climate change and mass migration due to it, terrorism, and cyber attacks. This year’s conference is expected to see a greater presence of countries from the Global South. In addition to the EU and US leaders, the event is expected to be attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.