BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called on European leaders to apply an approach of “peace through strength” to confront the threat posed by Russia.
Zelenskiy’s appeal comes a day after Donald Trump won another term in the White House, bringing uncertainty about Washington’s future policy after he had criticized the scale of U.S. military and financial support for Kyiv in its war with Russia.
Without going into details, Trump also has vowed to end the war quickly.
Zelenskiy nevertheless has praised Trump’s “commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs”.
In Thursday’s address to the European Political Community summit in Budapest, he echoed that comment.
“The concept of ‘peace through strength’ has proven its realism and effectiveness more than once. Now, it is needed once more,” Zelenskiy said.
He stressed that his country needed firm support from European leaders, some of whom he criticized for advocating concessions to Russia. It is “unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe”, he added.
“And what’s next? Should Europe seek the favor of Kim Jong Un in hopes that he, too, will leave Europe in peace?” Zelenskiy said in apparent reference North Korean troops deployed by Russia to help in its war effort in Ukraine.
“We need sufficient weapons, not just support in talks. Hugs with Putin won’t help,” the Ukrainian leader said in an apparent reference to pictures showing United Nations chief Antonio Guterres hugging President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Russia.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, writing by Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa, editing by Christina Fincher and Tomasz Janowski)