Rome (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that a ceasefire with Russia was not under discussion with European allies and urged more Western support ahead of a tough winter during his lightning tour of four capitals. Zelensky was seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump wins the US presidency next month.
The Ukrainian president travelled to Rome for a working dinner with Giorgia Meloni, after which the Italian prime minister announced that the city would host the next “recovery conference” to help Ukraine’s reconstruction on July 10-11, 2025. “Ukraine is not alone and we will stand with it for as long as needed,” Meloni told reporters after the supper.
Before that, Zelensky held talks with France’s President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, after which he denied media reports that he was discussing the terms of a ceasefire with Russia. “This is not the topic of our discussions,” he told the press in the French capital. “It’s not right. Russia works a lot with media disinformation, so such reports are understandable,” he added. Zelensky has rejected any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia, arguing that Moscow must first withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky also stated that he and Macron had discussed Kyiv’s “victory plan” to defeat Russia. “Before winter, we need your support,” he added, acknowledging “a difficult situation in the east” and a “big deficit” in terms of some equipment. Without elaborating, Macron noted that Zelensky had outlined Ukraine’s “plan for the next weeks” and the pair had discussed strategy for the coming “weeks and months.” Macron emphasised he had reaffirmed France’s support “for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion.” Zelensky later mentioned on Telegram that they had discussed the possibility of France and Ukraine jointly producing arms.
Ukraine is facing its toughest winter since the full-scale invasion started in February 2022, as Russia launches strikes on the country’s power grid and advances across the eastern frontline.
Zelensky arrived in Paris from London, where he had talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte. Speaking after his Downing Street meeting, Zelensky said he had “outlined the details of our victory plan,” adding that it “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war.” The meeting, according to Starmer, had been an opportunity to “go through the plan and talk in more detail.”
Zelensky states that Ukraine desperately needs more aid to fight back after Russia captured dozens of small towns and villages in the east. He is also pushing for clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies to strike military targets deep inside Russia. Washington and London have stalled on giving approval over fears it could draw NATO allies into direct conflict with Russia. Zelensky mentioned having raised the subject at the Downing Street meeting. Rutte told reporters: “Legally, Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons if they can hit targets in Russia, provided those targets present a threat to Ukraine.” However, he added, “Whether individual allies do, that’s ultimately up to individual allies.” Rutte and Britain cautioned against placing too much focus on long-range missiles. Starmer’s spokesman stated that the talks were primarily about “the range of support” for Ukraine.
A planned meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Germany on Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off his visit to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton.
On the ground, questions are growing about the long-term strategy of Ukraine’s counteroffensive into Russia’s Kursk region, given Moscow’s push in the east of Ukraine. “If this is a short-term operation, it will strengthen us,” said Bogdan, a serviceman sitting at a cafe in Druzhkivka, near Kramatorsk. “If it’s a long-term operation and we plan to stay in Kursk, it will deplete our main resources.”
On Thursday, the Kremlin announced that its missiles had struck two launchers of a US-made Patriot air-defense system, which Ukraine uses against Russian missiles. Ukraine relies on billions of dollars’ worth of US aid to fight Russia’s invasion, and the upcoming US presidential election in November could prove pivotal. The German-based Kiel Institute warned Thursday that Western military and financial aid to Kyiv could halve to about 29 billion euros ($31 billion) in 2025 if Trump wins the November 5 election. Trump has promised to end the war “in 24 hours” if he is elected – a prospect that Kyiv fears means being forced to make massive compromises to achieve peace.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.
© 2024 AFP
