United 24 Media:
πΉ βWe must stop Putin. We must strengthen our deterrence capabilities. But we must do it in a coordinated and focused way so that we remain in control of the situation,β said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SΓ‘nchez.
βLet us create a real European army β not in 10 years, but now. Spain will contribute all the necessary resources.
Let us strengthen the multilateral system by reforming and reinforcing the institutions that, despite their shortcomings, have preserved peace in the West for decades.
And let us invest in the values of solidarity, empathy, and cooperation that have brought us this far, because the rearmament the world needs most is moral rearmament,β SΓ‘nchez said in Munich.
πͺπΊ EU leaders are not yet ready to name a specific date for Ukraineβs accession, Latvian President Edgars RinkΔviΔs said at the Munich Security Conference, Suspilne reports.
He noted that there is currently no consensus among EU leaders on setting a clear timeline for Ukraineβs membership in the European Union.
At the same time, RinkΔviΔs stressed that Latvia supports Ukraineβs accession as soon as possible. According to him, the timing is also linked to potential agreements on ending the war started by Russia.
βWhen I spoke with many EU heads of state and government, I felt that at the moment there is no readiness to name a date. From our point of view, we want Ukraine to become part of the EU as soon as possible,β the Latvian president said.
π΅π± Poland wants to have its own nuclear weapons, Polsat News reports.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the country should consider developing its own nuclear weapons, arguing that Poland is βon the brink of armed conflict.β
βThis path, with full respect for international norms, is the one we should follow. We must move in this direction so that we can begin the necessary work. We are a country on the brink of armed conflict. It is clear how aggressive and imperial Russiaβs stance is toward Poland,β he said.
π« EU member states are not yet ready to name a specific date for Ukraineβs accession, said Kaja Kallas.
According to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Albania and Montenegro have also been on the accession list for a long time.
βI believe there is a priority and an urgent need to move forward and demonstrate that Ukraine is part of Europe,β she said.
πΈ At Munich Security Conference, Ukraine was the center of attention just days before a new round of peace talks. Throughout the conference, President Zelenskyy held numerous meetings, noting that their results would soon be reflected in new support packages to bolster Ukraineβs defense against Russia. He emphasized that the strongest response to Russian aggression remains unbreakable European unity.
β‘οΈ 90% of Ukrainians oppose holding elections during the war, President Zelenskyy said.
βWe need security for this. We need a ceasefire β maybe not the end of the war, but at least a ceasefire or security guarantees. Under such circumstances, the law would need to be changed, and our parliament can do that, I hope. But it is telling that 90% of Ukrainians are against elections. If anyone is interested in public opinion, the vast majority oppose it because they understand how dangerous it would be to hold elections now, during the war and under shelling,β the president said.
He added that it remains unclear how service members and the 8 million Ukrainians currently abroad would be able to vote during the war.
πΉ In a recent interview with Politico, President Zelenskyy underscored the urgent need for tougher sanctions, noting that many Russians who deserve to be blacklisted still enjoy freedom in Europe and the US while flouting democratic values. He insisted that instead of benefiting from Western liberties, these individuals should be sent back to the country they represent.
πΈ Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on foreign mercenaries due to heavy losses at the front, said British Defense Secretary John Healey.
According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told European partners that over the past two months, Ukrainian forces have inflicted greater losses on Russia than the Kremlin has been able to replenish.
As a result, Russia is expanding recruitment of so-called βvolunteersβ from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Cuba, Nigeria, and Senegal. Many are reportedly lured with job offers and then effectively forced to the front.
Healey also cited a figure of about 17,000 North Korean troops sent by Pyongyang to fight on Russiaβs side.
At the same time, Moscow is avoiding a new large-scale mobilization, fearing a repeat of 2022, when the call-up of hundreds of thousands of reservists triggered a mass exodus and sharp public discontent.
πΉ The Geneva talks will cover a broader range of issues than those held in Abu Dhabi, including territorial matters, said Putinβs press secretary Dmitry Peskov.
Other statements:
β«οΈ Medinsky remains the head of the Russian delegation on Ukraine. He did not take part in the Abu Dhabi rounds because security issues were discussed there.
β«οΈ The Russian delegation at the upcoming Geneva talks will be expanded. In addition to Medinsky, Galuzin, Kostyukov, and others will participate.
β«οΈ Dmitriev will also take part in the Geneva talks, but he is working on a separate track.
πΈ Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that the major mistake was failing to provide more support to Ukraine earlier.
βWe should have started in 2014.
If we had done that, I believe Ukrainians would control more of their territory today. We might even have prevented the full-scale invasion if we had armed and trained them in the years between 2014 and the invasion in 2022,β he said.
πΉ Czech President Petr Pavel: βWhat we probably need in Europe is what I would call more of a Scandinavian spirit. Russia is a weak country with a lot of nuclear weapons, and we should approach it accordingly.β
πΈ Russian forces continue to target healthcare facilities in Kherson. Today, one of the hospitals was again struck by enemy attacks, the Kherson Regional Military Administration reported.
βThe buildingβs facade was damaged, windows were shattered, and offices, as well as the heating and water supply systems, were affected.
In addition, two medical workers were injured in a drone strike during the day. They are receiving the necessary assistance.β
πΊπ¦πΊπΈ President Zelenskyy discussed with US senators the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to purchase Patriot missiles.
He thanked Senators Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse for their strong bipartisan support and efforts toward peace. Before the meeting, the senators met with children whom Ukraine had managed to return from Russia.
The president said he sees no effective tools to influence Russia other than pressure.
βThere is an important sanctions bill currently in the Senate, and we expect it to work. I also informed them about the constant Russian attacks on our people and, in particular, on American businesses. It is absolutely right that Russian money should be used to protect against this terror. We discussed the prospects of using frozen Russian assets to purchase Patriot missiles,β he said.