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On June 4th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for a visit aimed at meeting with EU and NATO officials.
At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Zelensky said that future NATO and EU membership would remain the principal foreign policy direction of Ukraine.
“The strategic course of Ukraine to achieve full-fledged membership in the EU and NATO, which is secured in the Constitution of Ukraine, remains unchanged. This is the priority of our foreign policy,” Zelensky said.
Stoltenberg himself said that Zelensky needs to look for a way to reach a conclusion of the Donbass conflict by peaceful, democratic means and said that NATO was prepared to support Ukraine in all of its necessary reforms.
“Today, the NATO-Ukraine Commission will meet to address the security situation in Ukraine. Allies look forward to hearing your assessment. The conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to claim lives. The fighting has killed 13,000 people. The people of Ukraine deserve peace. And I commend your commitment to end the conflict in a peaceful way,” Stoltenberg stressed.
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“NATO stands firm in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Allies do not, and will not, recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. And we condemn Russia’s aggressive actions in the Black Sea region. We welcome the ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea that Russia must release the Ukrainian sailors and ships it illegally detained last November. Allies will continue to make clear to Russia that it has to comply with international obligations and its international commitments,” Stoltenberg said.
He further accused Russia of “illegal actions” in the Black Sea and said that NATO would hold more exercises in July 2019.
“And we have stepped up our cooperation with our partners in the region, Ukraine and Georgia. So we are closely monitoring the situation. In April, Foreign Ministers agreed to a package of additional measures. Including more training of your maritime forces and your coast guard,” Secretary General noted.
“In July, we will hold more exercises in the Black Sea, together with Ukraine. We also continue to provide strong practical support in other areas. Through ten Trust Funds, NATO Allies and partners have pledged more than forty million euros to support Ukraine. In areas such as command and control, cyber defence and medical rehabilitation,” Stoltenberg added.
To answer a question by Ukrinform, which was related to the change in the Chief of General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and if that would impact Ukraine’s military endeavors in the Donbass, Zelensky once more changed direction saying that talks for a ceasefire were needed.
“He [The Chief General of Staff] is going to work in accordance with the Ukrainian doctrine and, at the moment, we have got the first meeting tomorrow actually within the Minsk format and the new Chief of General Staff will be there. There’ll be certain proposals at that meeting concerning the return to Minsk and first of all, we are talking about the ceasefire. We have to talk about the ceasefire. We have to exchange prisoners of war and discuss other issues.”
Despite Zelensky’s claims that Ukraine was aiming at a ceasefire, the violations against the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics continue, according to the OSCE’s most recent report dated June 3rd.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine, which is a stable and democratic state capable of defending itself, is an integral part of European security.
“I am confident that our distinctive partnership within the Alliance will advance effectively. I hope that in the long run, we will be able to transform our partnership into full-fledged membership in the Alliance,” Zelensky said.
“I’m eager to give new impetus to our engagement with the Alliance. The ongoing armed Russian aggression remains a major challenge for Euro-Atlantic security. Our common task is to ensure stability and security in the Black Sea region that requires Alliance additional efforts,” Zelensky concluded.
Volodymyr Zelensky with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Click to see full-size image
Separately, Zelensky said that sanctions on Russia need to be strengthened.
“Our goal remains unchanged – the liberation of Donbass exclusively by political and diplomatic means,” said the President of Ukraine, while speaking with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Zelensky thanked the European side for the continued support of the EU for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the special role played by the European Union in curbing Russian aggression against Ukraine, overcoming its consequences, solving social, humanitarian and other problems caused by it.
Separately, the Vice-President of the European Commission for the Euro and Social Dialogue Search Results Valdis Dombrovskis (who the Ukrainian presidential website presented as the sole Vice-President of the EC) emphasized that the European Union will finalize the issue of providing Ukraine with the second tranche of 500 million euro under the fourth EU macro-financial assistance program as soon as the relevant requirements for their receipt are met by the Ukrainian side.
Ultimately, there appears to be little difference in the narrative and the situation in Ukraine appears to be as “stable and secure” as always, Zelensky brings little difference compared to Petro Poroshenko, as the official rhetoric shows.
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Tiresome.