As President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: “We need a common European security and defense policy, and all European countries should be prepared to spend as much on security as is really necessary.” ”. “And not as much as they have become accustomed to years of neglect,” he said in a speech in Davos, Switzerland.
Ukraine’s president said arguments based on the claim that defense spending should be supplemented with “medicines, pensions or something else” were “playing with human emotions.” “This is really unfair,” he said, as reported by the Unian agency.
Zelensky supported Trump’s views. He wants NATO countries to increase defense spending
Zelenskiy was explicitly referring to Donald Trump’s demand that last year he suggested that NATO countries should allocate 5%, as the Financial Times recalled. GDP for defense. In early January, the newspaper report was confirmed by the person involved.
See: Von der Leyen on relationship with Trump. “An era of fierce competition”
– I think NATO should have 5 percent. (…). Countries with regular armies should spend 4%, and countries in danger zones should spend 5%. They can all afford it, he insisted at a conference at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida.
Meanwhile, at the North Atlantic Alliance Summit held in Washington last year, it was reported that the majority of member states spent less than 3% on military equipment. GDP. Only Poland exceeds the 4% threshold, and according to our government’s announcement, these costs will increase to 4.7%. (PLN 186.6 billion).
President Trump is making demands on NATO countries. Germany was skeptical
Olaf Scholz appears to be particularly critical of Trump’s ideas. In an interview with Focus Online, the German chancellor said the tax rate proposed by the Republicans was “huge” and that the solution developed by NATO over many years was based on each member state contributing at least 2%. insisted. GDP for defense is optimal.
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also commented on President Trump’s allegations. He doubted whether any NATO country could live up to the expectations of the then-elect.
See also: Military doctor from Ukraine detained. He became $1 million richer during the war.
Zelenskiy didn’t just share words about defense spending at Davos. – Russia can mobilize 1.5 million troops. The number of our armed forces exceeds 800,000. people. France is in second place with over 200,000 people. Then there are Germany, Italy, England, and even less. This is not a situation in which we can protect our country. We all need to come together and make a change, he urged.
Zelensky: Are people in the United States worried that Europe will abandon them? No.
As the Ukrainian leader recalled, President Putin signed a new strategic agreement with Iran. – He already has an agreement with North Korea. Who would they make such an agreement with? To you, to all of us (…). These are their strategic priorities, and our priorities must address this challenge in politics, defense, and economics. We have no choice but to work together to face such threats, he said.
“The whole world is wondering what steps the new president of the United States will take,” he said. – In times of war, everyone worries, will the US be with them? All allies worry about this, but are any Americans worried that Europe will abandon them and cease to be allies? The answer is no. The U.S. government has said it doesn’t trust Europe to bring anything significant.
President Zelenskiy pointed out that it is currently unclear whether Europe will come to the table to end the war in its own country or to negotiate after the end of the war. – Will President Trump listen to Europe or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? Europe must learn to take good care of itself so that the world cannot ignore it, he said.
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