Zelenskyy tells EU leaders: Today decisiveness will be either in Brussels or in Moscow
In a speech to the European Council, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that indecision by EU leaders at the summit would be a victory for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Source: European Pravda’s Brussels correspondent
Details: On 14 December, the President of Ukraine spoke to EU leaders via videolink at the invitation of Charles Michel, the president of the European Council.
Zelenskyy recalled that since the beginning of 2023, Russia has not achieved anything significant either on the battlefield or in the international arena. He urged the European leaders not to change this due to their indecision at the Brussels summit.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "Today is the day when decisiveness will be either in Brussels or in Moscow. People in Europe will not understand if the ‘reward’ for the meeting in Brussels is Putin's satisfied smile."
Details: The Ukrainian President stressed that he held a number of talks with EU leaders before the summit and "did not hear a single counter-argument as to why we shouldn’t implement a plan that has been agreed on by the whole of Europe".
Zelenskyy did not name names, but it’s clear from the context that he was talking about Viktor Orbán, to whom the president put this question.
Zelenskyy believes that the result of the summit should be a decision to agree on a calendar plan for the start of Ukraine's movement towards the EU, which the European Commission has already approved.
Quote: "There was a clear schedule for the EU – today is the day for a political solution in response to what we have achieved. We are talking about the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine. And approval in March next year of the negotiation framework for moving forward (...).
Last year, Ukraine received clear recommendations on how to move forward. We have passed the key laws. You all – I emphasise, all – know very well that we have fulfilled all our obligations."
Details: In this way Zelenskyy, without naming Orbán, challenged his repeated claims that Ukraine has allegedly failed to fulfil its obligations.
Background: Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán said he "sees no reason" for negotiations with Ukraine.
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