2024-09-27 08:55:25
The Ukrainian president surprises in New York with an optimistic forecast. However, in a conversation with Chancellor Scholz, Zelensky received a bitter rejection.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in New York, where the United Nations is holding its 79th General Assembly. There, Zelensky is beating the drum vigorously for further military support for his war-torn country, but he is also exploring the possibilities of a negotiated solution. At least this is what statements that the Ukrainian president had after confidential discussions with several political delegations suggest.
The 46-year-old surprised everyone by announcing that the war in his country could end next year. “Decisive action now can accelerate a fair end to Russian aggression against Ukraine next year,” Zelensky wrote on Platform X after a meeting with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation. “Our victory plan will help to practically force Russia to peace.”
He had previously said on the American TV channel ABC: “I think we are closer to peace than we think.” The end of the war is getting closer, said Zelensky. “Now, at the end of the year, we have a real chance to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the USA,” Zelensky later wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.
The Ukrainian president has been talking for some time about a “victory plan” that he would first like to present to his allies. He apparently sees the opportunity to do this around the UN summit in New York. He will present the plan in talks and possibly public speeches in order to secure additional political and military support. Zelensky also insists on his demand for Western security guarantees similar to those of NATO membership. In addition, unspecified weapons and other financial aid are to be made available to his country, which Russia has attacked in violation of international law.
Video | “Incompatible with my personal attitude”
On Tuesday, Zelensky will attend the UN Security Council meeting on the Ukraine issue and is expected to speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. US President Joe Biden will also receive him at the White House. In view of the approaching winter in Ukraine and the serious Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure, Zelensky is also hoping that the initiative will bring more Western support. Recently, the allies’ efforts, particularly in the area of arms aid, had noticeably diminished.
On the sidelines of the UN summit, Zelensky also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), where the discussion was about permission for the Ukrainian army to use long-range weapons in its fight for survival with the aggressor Russia. Scholz once again rejected the request.
Scholz said in a statement to reporters before the meeting that he had “made some decisions that are clear to me” on the issue of Ukraine’s use of weapons on Russian territory. This also means that Germany will not lift range restrictions.
What was astonishing was that Scholz justified this for the first time with his convictions. The Chancellor therefore linked the question of the Ukrainian defense against the Russian invasion with his “personal attitude”. When asked about the exact reasons for his position, he said: “We will not do this.”
Until now, Scholz had always justified the question of military support with technological considerations. For example in the Taurus debate. Criticism of Scholz’s decision came from within his traffic light government. The FDP foreign expert Agnes Strack-Zimmermann accused the Chancellor of “unworthy” actions. The FDP politician wrote on [Friedens]-Election campaign at the expense of a battered country.”