Ukraine's former foreign minister commented on Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election in an interview with Polsat News journalist Marek Sigachi. The diplomat was asked how choosing a Republican candidate would affect the future of the war in Ukraine.
According to Dmytro Kweba, the announcement to end the conflict within just a few dozen hours should only be treated as a pre-election promise.
– This war cannot end in 24, 48, or 72 hours. I would like to remind you that Ukraine was deprived of aid from the United States for almost six months while Congress failed to pass additional aid. The last six months have been extremely difficult, but we were able to get through it thanks to our European partners increasing their support as much as possible. This is the answer to this 24-hour plan. Ukraine knows how to survive without direct American help. Of course, there's the question of how long it will last, but he said it will definitely be longer than 24 hours.
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The Ukrainian politician also mentioned the issue of future direct cooperation with Donald Trump. Kuleba emphasized that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's inner circle knows how to build a narrative that satisfies the new president's ego, which will ultimately help achieve positive decisions for Kiev.
– Trump is a man with whom you can cooperate, as long as he believes that every decision he makes will be in his interest and has the opportunity to prove his strength (…) Let me give you an example. There was a major crisis during his first presidency, with accusations that President Trump colluded with President Putin. For him, the only way out of this crisis was to do more for Ukraine than Obama, he recalled.
Video: Dmytro Kuleba talks about the conflict between Russia and NATO. “Build a trench”
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– Since President Obama did not send weapons to Ukraine, President Trump decided to provide Ukraine with the first round of Javelin anti-tank launchers. Did he do it out of love for Ukraine? Absolutely not. Did he do it because he believed it was strategically important to strengthen Ukraine's position? Absolutely not. For him, it was the only way to show he was strong. He added that he has no agreement with Putin and that he is a better leader than Obama.
Former head of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine speaks about future European conflicts. “Build a trench”
Later in the conversation, Marek Sigachi asked the former Ukrainian foreign minister about a possible conflict between Russia and NATO. According to Dmytro Kweba, allied countries need to prepare for such a conflict by thinking not only about their common defense, but above all about their individual defense possibilities.
Watch: “The war is nearing an end,” Kiev officials say about the coming months
– President Putin is determined to continue the war to the death. He has no other operating model anymore. Today, it may seem that we do not have the courage to attack NATO, because the alliance is too strong. However, it is unclear what the future situation of collective security and the determination of the allies will be (…) to actually fight to defend Poland, the Baltic states or other Central European states. The Allies' determination to stand up is unclear, he argued.
The Ukrainian diplomat said that if Russia invaded, a conventional war without nuclear missiles could be expected against one of the NATO members.
– In the event of a conventional war, Russia will most likely capture some of the territory before NATO develops its entire force to expel the Russians from these areas. Therefore, I congratulate Poland on its plans to strengthen its defenses and build fortifications and trenches. The first advice we received from the Americans in the fall of 2021 was this – build the trenches, he stressed.
Dmytro Kuleba: “Ukraine is Poland's first front line''
During the meeting, the former Ukrainian foreign minister was asked about relations between Warsaw and Kiev. The correspondent recalled that Poland provided large-scale aid to Ukraine, mentioning, for example, the acceptance of refugees and the rapid delivery of weapons. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky several times spoke very negatively about Polish politicians and the decisions they make.
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As Dmytro Kuleba said, foreign policy and contacts between states should be viewed from a current perspective. Memories of support are necessary, but the battle situation is constantly changing.
– Use military terminology. Ukraine is Poland's first front line, and Poland is Ukraine's rear. If we start denying this approach, we will first lose Ukraine and then Poland, he said, remaining forever grateful to the Polish government and Poles for opening the door for us. he added.
– But life goes on and the war goes on. The longer the situation lasts, the more problems will appear, so in Warsaw and Kiev we need to remember how important unity and solidarity are and to sit down and discuss the problems instead of exacerbating the conflict. He added that simple action should be taken.
The former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine concluded his statement by pointing out that the refusal of aid from allies is unacceptable to the Ukrainian people.
– We are fighting for survival, so refusing to provide another type of weapon will be treated very harshly in Ukraine. I understand the Polish side's arguments, I have been close to these decision-making processes, and I know what the Polish side is guided by. Handle this situation calmly and don't use it against yourself. Sparks cannot cause a fire. He concluded that this could not be tolerated for the security of Poland and Ukraine.
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