NewsUkraine urges Western allies to ramp up support as peace era ends

Ukraine urges Western allies to ramp up support as peace era ends

Kuleba alarms the West. "The era of peace is over"

Images source: © East News | Kirill Chubotin

9:57 AM EDT, April 25, 2024

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has stressed the importance of Western allies realizing that "the era of peace in Europe has come to an end". Speaking to "The Guardian", he highlighted Ukraine's need for increased assistance in its battle against Russia.

Amid approving a new aid package for Ukraine in the United States, which sparked months of political debate, Kuleba expressed optimism about the outcome. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister underscored the crucial need for the West to bolster its defense capacity.

Kuleba suggested that Ukraine's allies need to transition from merely offering condolences to actively preventing the loss of life and the destruction of the country. He pointed out that the revival of American military aid, which had been halted for a significant time due to opposition from Republicans linked to Donald Trump, will not be enough to conquer Russia.

"No single package will stop the Russians. It will take a united front of Ukraine and all its partners to halt their advance," Kuleba argued.

Kuleba: The West must scale up its efforts

He also noted that the West needs to increase weapons production, as Ukraine has, to catch up with Russia's advancements in its defense industry. "When I compare the defense industry achievements of Russia over two years of war to those of the West, I believe there's a shortfall on the Western side. The West must recognize that the era of peace in Europe is over," he told "The Guardian".

Kuleba emphasized that the peak of military-industrial production from Ukraine's allies is only expected by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, most experts predict that the conflict will extend into next year, with a potential Russian offensive in the summer that could see an additional 100,000 troops mobilized.

Kuleba firmly dismissed any suggestion that it was time to initiate negotiations after more than two years of intense warfare. He reminded that between 2014 and the 2022 invasion, "200 rounds of talks" had already occurred with Russia. He labeled supporters of peace talks with Russia as either naive, complicit in "playing Putin's game," or misunderstanding Russia.

According to Kuleba, Vladimir Putin will only engage in meaningful peace talks when his military position is critically weakened. For this to happen, Ukraine must first achieve "success on the battlefield" and then establish a strong coalition of countries backing its peace plan, including Russia withdrawing from occupied territories.