Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned of possible consequences for the European Union if Ukraine does not prevail in its fight against Russia, telling CNBC that “if Ukraine fails, the war will come to the streets of European cities.”
“Today Putin does not have the strength and power to fight multiple wars,” Kuleba said, citing the recent fall of Russia’s Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria as an example. However, it has “the means to fight one war at a time,” meaning that if Ukraine falls, Europe will be next in the Russian president’s view, Kuleba warned.
Regarding NATO membership – a guarantee that Ukraine has been seeking for years – Kuleba considered it a necessary step to avoid a future revival of the conflict with Russia.
“Stopping Ukraine’s NATO membership could theoretically help end the fighting and establish a ceasefire,” he said, “but it won’t prevent a second Russia-Ukraine war from happening.”
A view of the destruction caused by a Russian attack in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on November 21, 2024.
Diego Herrera Anatolia | Getty Images
Security guarantees as an alternative to membership are not enough, Kuleba added, and said that most of the proposals have already been given to Ukraine as part of commitments signed with the United Kingdom with various countries.
The former minister was sure that when “serious people” sit down to discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining the alliance, they will realize that it is the only way forward.
The question of Ukraine’s membership in NATO has been a serious and sensitive one for many members of the organization, whose unanimous approval is necessary for the admission of the new member state.
President-elect Donald Trump
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House in January, Kuleba said it remains to be seen what specific policies he will implement, calling the recent talks between Zelenskyy and Trump a “good sign.” The two leaders met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. After his meeting with the president of Ukraine, Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the nearly three-year war.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has participated in a conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Hanke Bruins Slot.
Future publication | Getty Images
Donald Trump had previously said during the campaign that, if elected, he could end the war “in 24 hours”. Kuleba, on the other hand, insisted that the “key to peace” is in Moscow rather than in Kyiv. The former foreign secretary said Trump’s main focus should be negotiating in good faith with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the possible terms of a peace deal, Kuleba said President Zelenskyy “will do everything possible to prevent a peaceful settlement at the expense of Ukraine” and that no Ukrainian political leader can ever agree to cede territory. as it goes against the constitution of the country.
Using US weapons to strike inside Russia
Speaking to Time Magazine this week, President-elect Trump criticized a recent major policy change by President Joe Biden, which allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied ATACMS to attack Russian territory. He called the move “madness” and accused the administration of “increasing and worsening the war”.
Earlier on Friday, a Kremlin spokesman praised Trump’s criticism, saying his comments were consistent with Moscow’s “view of the reasons for the escalation.”
Asked about Trump’s remarks, Kuleba said Ukraine “cannot sit on its hands” while Russia continues to escalate. “When the enemy throws more and more cannon fodder into the fray to capture more towns and square kilometers of your land…there’s nothing wrong with backing down,” he said.
In the early hours of Friday morning, Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to the Ukrainian government, almost 200 drones and 93 missiles were launched in the country during the attack.
