Volodymyr Zelenskyj advertises fighter jets in London and Paris

First London, then Paris – and on Thursday now at the EU summit in Brussels: With visits to three European power centers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is asking his western allies for further military aid for the defense against the Russian invasion – in particular for fighter jets.

At a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday evening, Selenskyj said: “It’s about weapons that are necessary for peace. The war that Russia has unleashed must be stopped.” Scholz promised him support as long as necessary, Macron “support until victory”. Selenskyj had previously advertised fighter jets in Great Britain.

Chancellor Scholz: “Ukraine is part of the European family”

“The fact remains: Russia must not win this war,” stressed the Chancellor. He also assured before the EU summit on Thursday in Brussels, to which Zelenskyj is expected as a guest: “Ukraine is part of the European family.” Neither he nor Macron responded to the demands for fighter jets in their brief statements before the start of the meeting in the Elysée Palace.

Zelenskyj had previously said in London that his country’s army needed combat aircraft in particular to win the defensive battle against Russia. In Paris he then addressed Macron and Scholz in personal words: “Emmanuel, the sooner our pilots receive modern aircraft, and Olaf, the stronger our armored coalition becomes, the faster this aggression by Russia will end. And we will bring back a safe peace to Europe. “

Ukraine was declared a candidate for accession by the EU last year – shortly after Scholz and Macron visited Kiev together. The meeting in Paris was now the second face-to-face meeting of the three politicians since the Russian invasion began almost a year ago. For Selenskyj, the visit to the European capitals was only the second trip abroad during the war – the first had taken him to Poland and the USA at the end of last year.

Zelenskyj also meets King Charles III in London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

In London he met this time not only Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but also King Charles III. and delivered a speech to Parliament. Selenskyj thanked the British for their continued support after the Russian invasion and at the same time expressed the hope that fighter jets would soon be delivered after the recently promised battle tanks. The British government promised an examination, but spoke of a long-term solution. After all, the British Challenger 2 battle tanks are to be used in Ukraine as early as March, as announced by Prime Minister Sunak.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, warned again against a bidding war in terms of arms deliveries according to the motto: “Battle tanks, submarines, airplanes – who wants more?” Germany will not participate, the SPD politician emphasized in the Bundestag on Wednesday, before he left for the three-way meeting in the Élysée Palace in Paris.

Poland, among others, had recently urged the NATO partners to approve the delivery of fighter jets after battle tanks. Scholz had expressed skepticism about this. Germany has so far promised to supply 14 Leopard 2 tanks and has given the arms industry permission to export up to 178 of the older Leopard 1 model.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called on other European partners to join the German-Polish project to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. To this end, he will invite the Polish and Ukrainian defense ministers to a meeting next week, he said on Wednesday in Warsaw.

During a visit to Washington, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg also called on the Allies to supply Ukraine with more weapons. “Unfortunately, we see no signs that Russia is preparing for peace. On the contrary, Moscow is preparing for new military offensives,” he said.

Selenskyj as a guest at the EU special summit in Brussels

Zelenskyj will be a guest at an EU summit of heads of state and government in Brussels. He is also scheduled to give a speech in the European Parliament. The exact procedure is kept secret for security reasons. That is why the visit was not officially confirmed until the end.

It is expected that the Ukrainian President will also thank Brussels for the support in the war against Russia, but at the same time will demand more speed in further arms deliveries and his country’s path to the EU. Kiev wants to start negotiations on EU accession this year – but the 27 member states have to decide this unanimously.

The summit will also discuss the EU’s response to hundreds of billions in subsidies for green industrial projects in countries like the US, as well as the growing number of unwanted migrants. There is hardly an issue where the EU states are so at odds as with the common asylum and migration policy – and now a new dispute is threatening.

The number of asylum applications in 2022 rose by almost 50 percent to 924,000 compared to the previous year. A number of countries are overwhelmed. A major point of contention at the summit is likely to be whether fences or walls along the EU’s external borders should be financed from the EU budget. Countries like Austria, Greece and Hungary are vehemently demanding this. Germany, on the other hand, wants to avoid the impression of too much isolation and rejects this. The EU Commission is not yet ready to do so either.

In principle, the main aim of the summit will be to prevent unwanted migration to the EU from the outset or to make it less attractive – among other things by stepping up the fight against people smugglers and by faster deportations. According to the draft of the summit declaration, the pressure on countries of origin and transit should also be increased.