Ukraine’s government considers it “absurd” to be blamed “when key countries have failed to avert Moscow’s militaristic appetites”
Ukraine’s government on Saturday asked the White House to explain a comment by President Joe Biden that his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky “would not listen” to US warnings about an imminent invasion of his country by Russia before February 24. These words led to the first serious disagreement between Kiev and its main supporters in this war, given the amount of economic aid and weapons provided by the United States. An adviser to Zelensky’s misshaped Biden’s demonstrations because “they aren’t quite true,” he added. the Ukrainian leader “was always aware” of all international intelligence warnings, calling it “absurd” to blame Ukraine “if the main countries have failed to prevent the militaristic desires, know them well”, from the Kremlin .
The controversy arose during a charity event the Democratic president attended after he put the finishing touches to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. “I know a lot of people thought I might be exaggerating, but I knew, and we had data to back it up, that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) would enter the border. There was no question. And Zelensky didn’t want to hear it, and neither did many people. I understand why they didn’t want to hear it, but it came in,” Biden explained to a group of reporters without responding.
But the fuse was already on. Some media recalled earlier demonstrations, such as that by the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on February 10, when he said: “We are in a window where an invasion could start at any moment.”
In fact, the president’s comment could be the expression of a thorn that has been lodged since January when the White House warned almost daily about the Russian exercises along the Ukrainian border and its perception that an occupation was being prepared. However, the warnings barely elicited a response on the other side of the Atlantic. Zelensky himself questioned them publicly. On January 29, he criticized the West for “encouraging panic” that harmed his country and ruled out an imminent threat of invasion. On February 12, from Kherson, he again criticized Washington for “spreading panic.” “The people need to know the truth” and everything “is under control,” he assured. His government then fought against the departure of companies that feared a war, which resulted in a capital outflow of 1,700 million euros.
Looking back at the month of February, there seems to be a certain haze in the threat management. As the Ukrainian government defends its knowledge of Putin’s intentions, several analyzes suggest that the invasion surprised him and even influenced Zelensky’s resignation from the CIA’s advice to evacuate him from the country, convinced that the day would never would come from an occupation. Opposition politicians have also denounced that the president would have guaranteed them an evacuation plan for them and their families before Feb. 24, which did not exist later.
Biden’s unexpected remark has caused astonishment in Kiev, given the apparent harmony between the two governments and the fateful moment when the Ukrainians find themselves in a position of apparent weakness against the Russian army and his advance heralds the imminent conquest of several important cities of the Donbas. Washington is also these days preparing a shipment of heavy weapons for the Ukrainians to face the occupying forces.
According to a presidential spokesman, Sergei Nikoforov, Zelensky had three or four phone calls with Biden in the weeks before the attack to discuss the situation. He added that he had asked it to impose preventive sanctions on Moscow (an unfeasible request to Western countries as the Kremlin had not yet committed any aggression), so “the expression ‘not wanting to listen’ probably needs clarification.”
Another adviser, Mykhailo Podolia, also expressed his disbelief and questioned the US president’s comments. Zelensky “always had high-quality intelligence-based situational analysis on his desk” and responded “carefully to all warnings”. According to Podolia, Kiev was preparing for the occupation, but Russian aggressiveness overcame it. “Without a doubt, the scale of the invasion shocked many countries, including our partners,” he stressed.
It can be assumed that the controversy with the White House is not exactly the scenario the Ukrainian leader wanted this Saturday for his interview with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who traveled to the capital to review the “progress made”. to discuss. for Ukraine on its way to possible EU membership. The Twenty-Seven will discuss later this week whether the country at war should be granted candidate status.
Despite the general solidarity, there is clear disagreement among the community partners about the desirability of admitting the former Soviet Republic to the EU. The differences do not escape the Kiev cabinet itself, whose head says the inclusion would be beneficial for the entire international community. “A positive response from the EU will be a positive response to the question of whether the European project has a future,” Zelensky said.
Ursula von der Leyen assured that the country is “on the right track” and expressed her confidence that they will undertake reconstruction “together”. However, he warned that Kiev must make progress on social and political reforms. “Ukraine is at war. Therefore, your focus and our support is on overcoming this terrible war. But we want to look forward.” And in that sense, the community leader added, “much has been done to strengthen the rule of law, but there are still reforms that need to be implemented to fight corruption.”
In the European Union’s work calendar for this month, it’s not just the decision whether or not to obtain candidate status to join the community club that stands out. The EU will also launch a round with partners to gauge their readiness to help in migratory crises by cooperating on the distribution of displaced persons and the management of flows. The interior ministers approved this initiative on Friday evening and it believes that the governments that do not want to participate in this common strategy will be forced to make an economic expenditure as a solidarity fund with the rest.
The measure is pending adoption and takes great advantage of the cohesion shown by the Twenty-seven in the face of the wave of displaced persons caused by the war crisis in Ukraine, which has led to the departure of nearly seven million people to Europe and emphasizes the importance of a solid migration pact in the face of major conflicts, such as war or a pandemic. The agreement is a very important step, as the debate between the partners has been entrenched for two years.
Source: La Verdad
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