The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenski, made a surprise appearance in Brussels on Tuesday to participate in the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting. The transfer, the first to the Alliance headquarters since the invasion, had not been announced for security reasons, as always happens. But what is unusual is for Zelensky to leave the country for something that those below him in the pecking order usually do.
The trip, just a few days after returning from Granada, where he also participated in the meeting of the European Political Community along with 50 other continental leaders, is due to the extreme concern that is plaguing Kiev these days, and not only at the prospect of a new winter of attacks and power outages. Because of the disturbing messages coming from the United States and its budget negotiations. Due to the doubts and misgivings of more and more allies, from Hungary to Poland through Slovakia, which after the recent elections plans to freeze the shipment of weapons and ammunition. And above all because of the fear that Ukrainians have that the brewing war in Gaza will end up attracting attention, not in the media, that too, but in foreign ministries around the planet, starting with Washington.
“President Zelensky, dear Volodimir, it is a great honor and privilege to welcome you back here at NATO headquarters and to return the warm welcome you extended to me when I visited Kiev just a couple of weeks ago.. Your leadership, the bravery of the Ukrainian armed forces, and the determination of the Ukrainian people continue to impress and inspire us all.. As you know, we will stand by them and provide support to Ukraine, because this is really important for all of NATO.. Your fight is our fight. Your security is our security and your values are ours. We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary,” said the Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, at the beginning of the meeting.
“We have very specific things to ask for. The priority is air defense systems, we need them for very specific geographical points in our territory, to save energy networks, people and the grain route. It is also important that we have long-range missiles or long-distance weapons. It doesn't matter what they are called, the problem is getting them. We need them for one reason only: to expel Russia from our land,” said the president. Likewise, he will take the opportunity to demand that Belgium stop putting obstacles in the rounds of sanctions against Russia due to its desire to protect the diamond trading business, and to insist on the need for combat aircraft.. “Long-range missiles are also important. “We especially need them to push Russia out of our territory,” Zelensky alleges.. Your third priority for defense is “artillery, artillery, artillery”. To this recurring request, Stoltenberg has responded that NATO is working to increase production, with contracts worth 2.4 billion euros, of which 1 billion have already been signed for projectiles of very specific calibers.
Three European countries have committed to delivering more than 50 F-16 fighters, but kyiv needs more and as soon as possible. Last week, in Granada, a few other European partners, including Spain, committed to supplying more weapons or defensive systems, such as the six Hawk launchers that our country has promised to send as soon as possible.. “Putin is preparing to use winter as a weapon of war, to attack the energy system, the gas infrastructure and we must avoid it,” said the Secretary General of the Alliance, also mentioning the alleged sabotage suffered by the gas pipeline that connects Estonia with Finland.
Last winter, Russia launched a bombing campaign against Ukraine's key energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without access to heat, electricity or water.. And the base scenario is that the same thing is repeated now.
An eye on Israel
Alliance ministers will also keep an eye on Gaza. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reiterated this Wednesday that the Hamas attack over the weekend, which has so far left more than 1,200 Israeli dead, almost all of them civilians, is “an act of war”, and that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Among the Atlantic allies, the positions reflect a wide range of nuances, from the United States, Hungary and Poland with total support for Tel Aviv to the Turkish position, changing depending on the moment.. “Tomorrow the Israeli Defense Minister, Gallant, will also inform us about the situation. Allies condemned horrific terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Israel over the weekend. And we await the information from the minister with interest,” Stoltenberg simply said.. The country's Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, refused to participate in the same way yesterday in the meeting of EU ministers, but the NATO framework includes the US, which changes everything.
Zelensky, aware that a shift in international attention to the war in Gaza could jeopardize supplies and aid to his country, has come for it in person.. He knows that the highest possible profile is needed, and after having dismissed his head of Defense a few weeks ago, there is no one better than himself to convey the urgency of the situation.
That is why he has also compared the situation in both places, the Russian front and the Gaza front, urging Western leaders to go to Israel to show their support in person, just as they have done for the last year and a half in Ukraine.