End of peace in Europe: Ukraine's pressing call for more Western aid

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has emphasized the need for Western allies to understand that "the era of peace in Europe has come to an end". In a conversation with the British newspaper "The Guardian", he indicated that his country would need more assistance in the fight against Russia.

In the context of the recently approved aid package for Ukraine in the United States, which was the subject of many months of political disputes, Dmytro Kuleba conveyed that "he believed we would have a positive result". However, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also stressed that it's vital for the West to continue expanding its defence industry.

According to Kuleba, Ukraine's allies should shift from "offering condolences and sympathy to Ukrainians and promising help in rebuilding to preventing loss of life and destruction of the country". The Minister noted that the decision to resume American military aid, which was suspended for many months by Republican Party politicians associated with Donald Trump, will not be sufficient to defeat Russia.

"No single package will stop the Russians. The Russians will be stopped by a united front of all of Ukraine and all its partners," Kuleba argued.

He also pointed out that the West must increase weapons production, as Ukraine has done because Russia has outpaced it. "When I see what Russia has achieved in building its defence industry base over two years of war and what the West has achieved, I think something is wrong on the Western side. The West must realise that the era of peace in Europe has ended," he said in an interview with "The Guardian".

He emphasized that the peak moment of military-industrial production from Ukraine's allies is only expected by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, most experts and observers believe the conflict will not end anytime soon and will probably last into next year. There is widespread belief that Russia plans to launch an offensive in the summer and could mobilise even 100,000 additional soldiers.

Kuleba categorically rejected any suggestions that after more than two years of intense, full-scale war, the time was right to start negotiations. The Minister recalled that between 2014 and the moment of the invasion, which took place in 2022, as many as "200 rounds of talks" took place with Russia. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine believes that those supporting peace talks with Russia are naïve, while others are "playing Putin's game" or "do not understand Russia".

Kuleba explained that Vladimir Putin would be willing to enter serious peace talks only when his military position is on the verge of collapse. To achieve such a state of affairs, Ukraine must first achieve "success on the battlefield" and second, build a strong coalition of countries that support its peace formula, including Russia's withdrawal from the occupied territories.