Ukraine’s defense minister defended this Thursday that “there is no alternative” to Ukraine joining NATO and pushed for the idea that the former Soviet republic is the “shield of Europe” to face the “Russian threat” .
“If we want peace and security for Europe, we have to move forward. First of all, there is no alternative [entrada da] Ukraine in NATO [Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte]Oleksii Reznikov said in a video broadcast during the European summit on defense and security, which takes place in Brussels this Thursday.
With Sweden’s potential future membership in the organization, the Baltic Sea will become “NATO’s inland sea,” he continued, adding “there is no viable alternative” to the Black Sea, off the coast of Ukraine and other countries, “which also a NATO sea”.
“The Alliance’s security infrastructure must be extended to the East,” he insisted.
Reznikov also stressed that “there is no alternative” to the increase in military industry and that ammunition and weapons production should be “restarted quickly” to replenish European reserves following donations to Ukraine.
“A strong and modern army is a real guarantee of security at a time when NATO can be blocked by a single country,” he stressed, referring to the fact that decisions in the Atlantic Alliance are made by consensus.
Thanks to Western support, Kiev is fulfilling “the mission for which NATO was created”, as Ukraine is “Eastern Europe’s shield against the Russian threat”, he stressed.
“On the other hand, time is of the essence. Prolonging or freezing the war means lost lives, human suffering. Ukraine wants to change course on the battlefield this year. It has already shown on the battlefield that victory is possible, but we need to help”, he said.
To ensure “a qualitative advantage in the future”, Europe “needs to rearm, not with an eye to the past, but with our present experience,” the Ukrainian minister added.
“We have the most extensive experience in using Western weapons on the battlefield. We are currently demonstrating the advantages of Western weapons over Russian weapons on the battlefield,” he said.
“Less Russian weapons mean less Russian influence. Therefore, it is in the public interest that Ukraine receives as many existing weapons and ammunition as possible as soon as possible,” stressed Oleksii Reznikov, pointing out that in the meantime, Europe will have the opportunity to rearm with new equipment.
Reznikov recalled that at last year’s summit of NATO leaders in Madrid, Russia was identified as “the main and most immediate threat to the security of allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region” .
“This threat will persist for years to come,” Reznikov warned, calling for a “proportional response.”
Ukraine’s defense minister also stressed that Russia’s unleashed war in Ukraine “is not a local conflict” and that there is no “local solution, tactics or territorial change” that will end it.
“In reality, this is a clash of civilizations and the result will have repercussions all over the world. If Russian aggression succeeds, it will strengthen any regime interested in using force to achieve territorial goals. It is in the interest of Europe winning Ukraine” the war against Russia, he concluded.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
