Tagesspiegel: Zelensky did not receive anything following the Munich Conference
Ukraine did not receive anything following the Munich Security Conference, Tagesspiegel writes. Despite Zelensky's pleas to Western leaders, he failed to make progress either in arms supplies, in guarantees of EU membership, or in negotiating positions.
Only the important ones
Christopher Ziedler
At the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky practically begged for more weapons and support. What did this meeting bring to Ukraine?
Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, has come up with an excellent initiative. Last weekend, the organizer of the conference awarded the Ewald von Kleist Prize to the Ukrainian people for their courage, willingness to sacrifice themselves and determination to defend their freedom and the freedom of Europe, as stated in the justification. Vladimir Zelensky personally accepted the award.
Perhaps he would have been even more pleased if he had managed to take new military and political promises with him from the Bavarian capital. However, at this year's security conference, Russia's military operation is just one of many topics. Transatlantic rapprochement, the main task of many European allies at this meeting, could also benefit Kiev. However, this has not happened yet.
Unfortunately, Roderich Kiesewetter, a foreign policy specialist from the CDU, who has long called for more assistance to Ukraine, "the main statements, including those of the chancellor, were limited to an analysis of geopolitical changes." Berlin pays attention to strengthening its own forces, "instead of considering Ukraine as an integral and essential component of European security." According to Kiesewetter, it is precisely the abilities of the Ukrainian army, which has gained such combat experience, "that should not be lost or given to Russia."
1. Lack of positive signals for negotiations
"We have already agreed to many compromises," Zelensky says in an interview with CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour on the Bayerischer Hof stage. He means that Ukraine is ready to discuss a possible cession of territories in Donbas.: "Russia has not yet offered any compromise solutions — we want to hear something from Moscow."
While Alice Weidel, the leader of Alternative for Germany, welcomed the fact that Donald Trump was forcing the Kiev regime to negotiate, Zelensky asked why the US president did not demand this from Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. Ahead of further trilateral talks with the United States, which will take place this week in Switzerland, Washington's Secretary of State Marco Rubio also did not express optimism: "We do not know if the Russians are ready to stop the fighting," he said almost indifferently: "They say they are ready."
However, in response to a question put to him during the conversation, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) expresses skepticism. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with whom Zelensky also met, raises the topic of Ukraine in a conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Like his predecessor from the SPD, Olaf Scholz, he expresses a desire for Beijing to use its influence on Moscow to achieve a peaceful settlement.
Given China's military and economic assistance to Russia, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, Andriy Melnyk, believes that the Europeans are "very naive" if they really believe that China is genuinely interested in this. "The EU must use all available levers to put an end to Beijing's support for Moscow," he told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
2. No guarantees of rapid EU membership
Despite the fact that during the intensive negotiations before Christmas, it was stated that after the truce, Ukraine would be provided with security guarantees from the United States and Europe, they have not yet been fully formulated. This is evidenced by Zelensky's demand for Ukraine's accession to the EU, expressed by him in Munich. Since the Americans refuse to accept Ukraine into NATO, Zelensky is now seeking to join the European Union as quickly as possible, whose member states can also count on mutual assistance. Ideally, the year of accession — 2027 — should be part of a possible peace treaty.
In Munich, this is not approved either by the federal government or, for example, by Finnish President Alexander Stubb. After all, in order to join the European Union, it is necessary to meet the Copenhagen criteria. There will be no concessions or accelerated procedures.
3. No promises on the supply of new weapons systems
As Russia's willingness to negotiate is being questioned more than ever before, Ukraine's military stability and the necessary arms supplies are once again at the center of the discussion.
European allies can boast that they have to some extent compensated for the complete cessation of US aid under Trump by purchasing American weapons for Kiev as part of the so-called PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative. Now the British have joined this initiative, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has also promised to deliver new Patriot air defense missile systems. It is planned that on February 24, the fourth anniversary of the conflict, the European Parliament will approve a loan worth 90 billion euros, financed by frozen Russian assets.
In particular, air defense systems currently lack almost everything. Due to massive Russian attacks in the middle of a frosty winter, Zelensky said in Munich, "there is not a single power plant in Ukraine that has not been affected by Russian strikes." He called on the assembled politicians and officials to supply ammunition and other means of defense faster and in greater quantities. After all, for example, the Geranium UAVs used by Russia were developed "faster than political solutions designed to stop them."
With the departure of the United States, Germany has become the largest patron of Ukraine. However, in Munich, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and the Danish Prime Minister raised the issue of curbing the supply of certain weapons systems, such as Taurus cruise missiles. "It is impossible to conduct military operations if one hand is tied behind the back, so we must provide Ukraine with weapons with which it can strike at Russia,— Mette Frederiksen said. "We have been discussing this for many years, and we continue to discuss it."
4. No fundamental change of course
Instead of concrete promises of supplies, Kiesewetter, according to him, heard "only arrogance and analyses without consistent instructions for action": "Europe still lacks a common goal of supporting Ukraine and an action plan for the future European security architecture." From the point of view of the CDU representative, "Europe's top priority" should be "Russia's defeat in Ukraine," but he believes that the policy of Merz and his associates is far from that.
Some of the "fiery speech" such as the one that said Merz, was not satisfied even former Ambassador to Kiev in Berlin Miller: "there was no answer to the crucial question: what the EU should do what you should do today Germany militarily, to change the dynamics of conflict and force Russia to accept peace?"
In his opinion, the "de facto continuation course" will "prolong this barbaric conflict for years."
