By Ben Kerrigan-
Ukraine prime minister, Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for global protests to mark one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. His outcry followed calls for meaningful talks in today’s meeting in Brussels, which he said would reveal who are friends of Ukraine.
In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky made a plea for people all over the world to take to the streets on Thursday and show solidarity with Ukraine.
He said: “Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life.”
Mr Zelensky said that Russia was not just waging a war against Ukraine but against the freedom of people everywhere.
US President Joe Biden will also attend the meeting where Nato members will be addressed remotely by Mr Zelensky.
The meeting is expected to sign off on the formation of four new battlegroups in eastern Europe.
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the battlegroups – each numbering between 1,000 and 1,500 troops – would be deployed in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
The alliance already has 40,000 troops in Europe under its direct command, nearly 10 times the number it had a few months ago.
The Ukranian leader said the talks will reveal “who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money.”
He said politicians must also support freedom. All of them. They must support the struggle for life.
We are waiting for meaningful steps. From Nato, the EU and the G7.
Our firm position will be represented at these three summits. At these three summits we will see: Who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money.”
Zelenskiy’s reference to finding out who is a friend appeared to be in the context of his request for the Ukrainian skies to be made safe from Russian missiles and bombs, as he urged for more support in weapons.
”We have not received aircraft and modern anti-missile weapons. We have not received tanks, anti-ship equipment. Russian forces can keep killing thousands of our citizens, destroying our cities. Just because there are too many invaders. Just because Russia has been preparing for such a war for decades.
We asked to close our sky. And we asked for assistance from Nato to be effective and without limits. Any support in weapons that we need. We asked the Alliance to say it will fully help Ukraine win this war, clear our territories of the invaders and restore peace in Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has held regular meetings with Zelensky and explained the unthinkable consequences of imposing no fly zones in Ukranian skies. Mr.Johnson explained that he would effectively be ordering the shooting down of Russian planes, which would spark a war with Russia that could spiral out of control. A war that could engulf the whole of Europe and quite easily spread into a third world war.
Britain and the EU have already lent plenty of support to Ukraine, but Zelensky, whose country has been very resilient in the fight against Russian troops, has been calling for more intervention from NATO-one which unfortunately can spiral out of control.
Last month, Britain and its Nato allies moved tanks, ships and warplanes towards eastern Europe, after it realized Russia was withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine. Nato’s general secretary at the time said it was ready for the worst.
Since then, Russian forces has bombed 135 hospitals and a theatre in the city that provided shelter to over 1,300 civilians. Hundreds of people including women and babies were feared trapped in the bombed ruins of a theatre in Mariupol as rescue efforts are hampered by constant Russian shelling.
Nato forces have done its best so far in its support for Ukraine, but Zelensky wants overwhelming support that would ensure a decisive victory and end the war.
Sadly, the support he calls for would only cause the war to spiral out of control and involve the rest of the world, leading to infinitely more deaths. His comments appear to be unappreciative of the support he is currently receiving, but they are borne out of desperation.
Economic sanctions imposed by the West continues to be the best option, with greater push for talks with President Putin. who is losing support in his own country.
The Ukrainian President said it was Russia’s only chance to limit the damage from its “mistakes” in the wake of its invasion.
“This is the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“It’s time to meet, it’s time to talk, it’s time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine.
Russia has also attacked the outskirts of the western city of Lviv, a crossroads for people fleeing the war and for others entering to deliver aid or fight.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said Russia has “temporarily” lost access to the Azov Sea, which connects to the Black Sea and would be a major loss for Ukraine.
Despite heavy Russian shelling of the encircled cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mariupol Russia has “failed to achieve its original objectives”, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.