Kyiv: As European leaders and experts gather in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there is a collective sense that Russia is not willing to stop any time soon. Speaking at the opening of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) Special Meeting, there is clarity on what Ukraine needs now: closing Ukrainian skies to Russian missiles and drones, quick EU membership for Ukraine, and strong security guarantees to prevent future aggression.
Addressing the audience, YES founder Viktor Pinchuk stressed, “Europe has to pay much more if Russia is not stopped today.” He emphasised that Ukrainians are fighting not just for their own country and security, but also Europe’s security. However, recalling President Zelenskyy’s words, he said Ukrainian heroes are not terminators.
Former Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Simonyte concurred, saying “Baltic nations had long seen the Russian aggression coming, but we were called paranoid.” She added that Europe was late to support Ukraine and Putin today is not just testing European resolve, but is also trying to set the political field in Europe by cultivating anti-Ukrainian, and therefore anti-European, politicians in Europe to facilitate future wars. In this context, Simonyte said that EU had to figure out a way to deal with leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban who constantly block the group’s decisions and undermine Europe’s efforts to support Ukraine. Hungary just vetoed EU’s efforts to pass the 20th sanctions package against Russia and is now threatening to block a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine previously agreed by the European bloc.
On the possibility of peace, Simonyte said that it is Putin that is pushing this fake peace narrative that essentially amounts to Ukraine capitulating and agreeing to Russian demands. “Russia will be constantly offended. It is Europe that has to stand with Ukraine despite Moscow’s demands,” said Pinchuk.
