15 December 2022, Thursday, 15:53 203

Next 6 Months Will Be Decisive In Confrontation That Russia Began With Aggression Against Ukraine - Zelenskyy

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the next six months will be decisive in the confrontation that Russia began with aggression against Ukraine. Zelenskyy said this in a video message to the European Council, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The next six months will be largely decisive in the confrontation that Russia began with this aggression. Aggression against Ukraine and against each of you, because the final target of Russia is much further than our border and Ukrainian sovereignty. The next six months will require even more effort from us than this elapsed time," he said.

Zelenskyy noted that Russia's bet on destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and therefore on a humanitarian catastrophe for tens of millions of Ukrainians and all neighboring countries in the EU, remains, so Ukraine's need for support for energy and social sustainability remains.

The President emphasized that Russia's energy terror should be defeated in all forms. In particular, he called on the EU to agree on effective price caps for oil, oil products and natural gas from Russia so that the terrorist state would be deprived of the ability to finance the war thanks to the global market.

Zelenskyy also called on the EU to continue to support the energy supply of Ukrainians.

"Russia wants to break your security because of the destruction of our infrastructure. Any blackouts in Ukraine are blows to your social systems due to new waves of migration. Any attempts by Russia to show that supposedly Ukraine does not have enough resilience are attempts to show you, the world, that supposedly Europe does not have enough resilience," he said.

The President noted that Ukraine needs support for the procurement of 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to compensate for the damage from Russian strikes on other types of generation, and the supply of electricity from the EU worth about EUR 800 million.

In addition, Ukraine needs further defense support - more modern weapons and more supplies. Zelenskyy explained that this applies to air and anti-missile defense, as well as modern tanks, more long-range artillery and missile systems that could accelerate the end of Russian aggression.

He also called on EU countries to support the Ukrainian formula for peace, noting that its elements can be implemented in the next six months.

Zelenskyy also called on the EU to soon provide an assessment of Ukraine's implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission and move to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on December 13, Zelenskyy, in a video message to the participants of the international conference in France on support for Ukraine, said that Ukraine needs emergency support from the European Union energy system and the procurement of 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas for winter.

Zelenskyy plans to hold a peace summit this winter.

Больше новостей о: European Council President Volodymyr Zelenskyy