Zelenskyy Urges Allies To 'Hurry Up', German Chancellor Advises Caution At Munich Security Forum — 10 Points

At the Munich security conference, the Ukrainian President asked allies to speed up decisions and delivery of agreements, but the German Chancellor advised caution than hasty decisions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a video address to world leaders at a security conference in Munich

Source : president.gov.ua

New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the West to hurry up its support for Ukraine saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin will gain a military advantage unless arms deliveries and further sanctions are executed soon. The statement was made in a video address to world leaders at a security conference in Munich as Russia amps up its offensive.

The Munich security conference is hosting over 100 world leaders and diplomats, including US Vice-President Kamala Harris. As per a report by The Guardian, the opening speeches at the event made it clear that Europe is now expecting a prolonged conflict requiring further expense and sanctions.

The Munich security conference is an annual gathering of leaders, officials, and diplomats and its focus this year is transatlantic. The agenda broadly ranges from China to climate change. However, the conference will also have Ukraine's allies assess the situation with Russia's invasion over a year on.

• “We need to hurry up. We need speed – speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery … speed of decisions to limit Russian potential,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as quoted by The Guardian. “There is no alternative to speed because it is speed that life depends on. Delay has always been and still is a mistake,” he added.

• However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke immediately afterward, advised caution than hasty decisions, stressing that unity was better than going alone. As per the report, Scholz emphasised that Europe was in uncharted territory and there was “no blueprint for confronting a nuclear power waging an imperialist war of aggression here on European soil”. He said it was vital to avoid an unintended escalation and advised carefully weighed decisions.
  
  
• Scholz also mentioned that he was the biggest supplier of weapons in continental Europe and in response to some of his critics, he pointed out that he had provided German Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but few others had done so. “All those who can supply main battle tanks should really do so,” he said, as quoted by The Guardian.
  
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron said that France was ready for a prolonged conflict and that “we must collectively be credible in our ability to last in this effort”. According to him, “This is a war that is a consequence of the fact that no one properly digested the end of the cold war – neither Europe nor Russia.”
  
  Macron requested allies to support Ukraine in its attempt to launch a counteroffensive, “which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people”.
  
  
• The Munich security conference traditionally invites senior leaders from states hostile, or ambivalent, towards the west. However, this year it took the unusual decision to exclude any representatives from Iran or Russia. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reacted to his exclusion by putting forth a Moscow foreign policy goal to end what he termed as the west’s diplomatic monopoly.
  
  
• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is slated to deliver an address at the conference and his speech will be closely watched to find out how far Beijing goes, in distancing itself from Russia’s invasion while seeking out a new, post-Covid trading relationship with the west.
  
  
• Wang Yi is also expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who may urge him to do more to criticise the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The meeting will also be significant considering that Blinken's Beijing visit was cancelled over the alleged Chinese spy balloon issue.
  
  
• According to a report by BBC, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will call on world leaders to ensure a “lasting peace” for Ukraine. His main objective during the security conference will be maintaining western unity against Russia while he will also speak to EU leaders about talk of an imminent breakthrough on post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.
  
  
• Rishi Sunak will call on world leaders to ensure a “lasting peace” for Ukraine by establishing a new Nato charter to help the country defend itself “again and again” in the face of any future declarations of war by Russia, BBC reported. As per the report, he is expected to say: “Now is the moment to double down on our military support. When [Vladimir] Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter. Even now he is betting we will lose our nerve. But we proved him wrong then, and we will prove him wrong now.”
  
  
• G7 foreign ministers are expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference on Saturday to discuss the next steps in Ukraine and also how to address the future of the Iran nuclear deal. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is due to visit Poland on Monday.