Macron, Scholz anticipate prolonged conflict in Ukraine, vow readiness

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Feb 2023 22:04

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ukraine's President says there is no alternative to Ukraine winning the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the 2023 Munich Security Conference by video link. (picture alliance/dpa / Felix Hörhager)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he believes that the west must prepare for a long war in Ukraine, which, according to him, serves the "imperialistic" ambitions of Russia.

In an address at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Friday, Scholz considered that weapons supplied to Kiev contribute to ending the war sooner and the withdrawal of "Russia's conquering troops."

“It is not the weapons we are supplying that are prolonging the war. The opposite is true,” he said, adding that the sooner Russian President Vladimir Putin realizes “that he will not achieve his imperialist goal, the greater the chances are of the war ending in the near future, and of Russia’s conquering troops withdrawing."

"I think it's wise to prepare for a long war," Scholz said in his speech.

Responding to a question as to whether Germany found itself in a position to convince countries to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, Scholz wondered as to why countries that pushed Berlin earlier to allow the export of the tanks have not yet pursued their promise, noting that Germany can make the decision easier for them, hinting that it can't take it for them.

“That’s a question I have to ask to others, especially those who were so much urging [me] to act,” he replied, stressing that “all those who can supply main battle tanks should really do so."

“Germany can do what it can to make this decision easier for our partners — say by training Ukrainian soldiers here in Germany or providing support in terms of replenishing supplies and logistics.”

Regarding his earlier promise to raise the country's military spending, the German Chancellor said, “Germany will permanently raise its defense expenditure to two per cent of gross domestic product,” he said.

On his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius considered that military spending should exceed 2% of the GDP, noting that the circumstances are now different.

"What is new is that all this is taking place while a war is being waged on European soil by Russia against Ukraine," Pistorius said ahead of the conference.

French President Emmanuel Macron

On his part, Macron said now is not the time for dialogue with Moscow as he described the war in Ukraine as a Russian “neocolonialist and imperialist” offensive that “broke all taboos."

"We absolutely need to intensify our support and our effort to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people," Macron said at the MSC.

"It is not the time for dialogue because we have a Russia which has chosen war, which has chosen to intensify the war, and which has chosen to go as far as committing war crimes and to attacking civilian infrastructures," he added.

The French leader stressed that the war in Ukraine is not a European issue, but rather, a global issue that must be condemned by countries that still consider that the conflict is not their concern.

“To close your eyes [to the invasion] is to legitimize neocolonialism and imperialism around the world,” he said.

“It is a vision of the world that has broken all taboos, not only violating the UN charter” that saw “murders, rapes, war crimes and the systemic destruction of civilian infrastructure.”

“I am struck by how we have lost the trust” of some states, Macron added.

Restoring [global] solidarity is a top priority, he said, and more nations will be needed to seal a sustainable end to the conflict.

France's President also considered that the end of the war will require participation from more countries, however, this is not the current priority, he added.

First, the West needs “to intensify our support and our efforts to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine," Macron said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky

In a video address to the conference, Zelensky considered that there is no other option but for Ukraine to win the war as he urged Kiev's western allies to speed up their arms supplies to his country.

"We need to hurry up. We need speed — speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery... speed of decisions to limit Russian potential. There is no alternative to speed because it is the speed that the life depends on," he said, stressing there was "no alternative to a Ukrainian victory."

In reference to the biblical story where David defeated Goliath using a sling, Ukraine's President stressed that power is the only option to defeat Russia.

"Determination is never abstract. David defeated Goliath not by the power of conversation, but by the power of his actions," he said.

"Delay has always been and still is a mistake," Zelensky stressed, adding that "Goliath must lose" for the world to become safe.

Geoana vows firm support to Ukraine

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana told German news outlet Deutsche Welle that the military coalition (NATO) is "determined to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and make sure that Ukraine wins this war."

"Mr. Putin can stop this war any second," he noted. "I believe that Ukrainians are the ones that need to define what victory represents and which will be the preconditions for a political solution. We are here to stay for the long run with the Ukrainians."

Commenting on the Moldovan President's claim that Russia is planning to overthrow her country's government, Geoana said, "The Republic of Moldova is a joint partner of both NATO and the European Union. The fact that the EU has given to Ukraine, but also to Moldova, a clear path towards EU membership is, in a way, helping Moldova to resist this huge pressure from Russia."

Earlier this week, Moldova's President Maia Sandu had claimed that Russia is planning to overthrow the country's government and destabilize her nation using "diversionists with military training" planted as civilians.

“The plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings and even take hostages,” Sandu said on Tuesday.

“The purpose of these actions is to overthrow the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chisinau to an illegitimate one, which would put our country at the disposal of Russia in order to stop the European integration process,” she added noting that Moscow's attempts "will not work."