Saturday, February 15, 2025

Zelenskyy: 'The Most Influential Member of NATO Seems to Be Putin' | DW News

Feb 15, 2025 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for increased European unity in the face of the threat posed by Russian aggression and the possibility that the US under Donald Trump could withdraw its support for Kyiv.

Zelenskyy pointed to intelligence suggesting that Russia was sending troops to Belarus as opening up the possibility of an attack on other European countries besides his own. "The time has come, the armed forces of Europe must be created," he said.

Zelenskyy also spoke about fears that the US might be planning to cut a bilateral deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine. "Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement. No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, no decisions about Europe without Europe," he said.

He said security guarantees for Ukraine should include either NATO membership for Ukraine or "conditions that allow us to build another NATO here in Ukraine."

He concluded his speech with a call for world peace and "peace for all your families."