Volodimir Zelensky: The European Union must do more for us, for Ukraine

The European Union (EU) has to “do more” for Ukraine, the Ukrainian president estimated this Friday Volodymyr Zelenskyafter the leaders of the community bloc ruled out the day before a rapid accession of their country.

“The European Union must do more. You must do more for us, for Ukraine”, he said in a video broadcast on Telegram.

“The decisions of politicians must coincide with the mood of their people,” he added.

EU heads of state and government on Thursday ruled out Ukraine’s quick accession to the bloc but left the door open for closer ties.

Kiev had submitted its application for accession in the hope of being able to quickly join the bloc. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stressed that “there is no quick procedure” of accession, but that the EU does want to work intensively with Ukraine.

In the same video, Zelenski attacked Russia on Friday for the idea of ​​welcoming volunteer Syrian fighters who want to join the front against the Ukrainians.

“This is a war against a very stubborn enemy […] who has decided to hire mercenaries against our citizens. assassins of syriafrom a country where everything has been destroyed by the occupiers, something they are putting us through” now, Zelensky declared.

This idea of ​​admitting Syrians to the Russian ranks fighting in Ukraine was proposed on Friday by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to President Vladimir Putinwho supported it.

“If you see people who want to go voluntarily, and not for money, to help people living in Donbas (eastern Ukraine), you have to approach them and make it easier for them to get to the combat zone,” Putin said. .

Russia has provided considerable military support to the Syrian regime since the fall of 2015., backing his forces against the rebels and against the jihadists, which has helped keep Bashar al-Assad in power, who now controls most of Syria again. (I)