Leaders call for more aid as Russia reaps big gains

“The sense of urgency is not clear enough in our discussions,” Frederiksen said during a lunchtime session. “We need to increase speed and scale.”

Mr. Frederiksen criticized European claims that production constraints were the reason for not being able to provide more military aid to Ukraine, noting that the continent had existing reserves that could and should be shared.

“This is not just a question of production, because we have weapons, ammunition and air defense that we do not need to use at home at the moment and should be delivered to Ukraine,” she said.

Frederiksen said Denmark has now donated all of its artillery to Ukraine and urged other countries to do the same as the war marks its second anniversary on February 24. Ta.

“There should be a new delivery on Saturday,” she said. “Words will not solve this situation.”

Frederiksen’s sentiments were echoed by others in the room. The policymakers spoke at the 7th Munich Ukraine Lunch, organized on the sidelines of the MSC by the Yalta European Strategic Forum (YES) and the Ukrainian non-profit Victor Pinchuk Foundation. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Bilström said countries must offer Ukraine “what they already have.”

The comments came hours after Ukrainian troops withdrew from the eastern city of Avdiivka, a longtime military stronghold, to avoid a Russian encirclement. The fall of Avdiivka marks the biggest change on the front since Moscow captured Bakhmut in May, providing Russia with a new base from which to launch regional attacks, a morale-boosting success for its own country. It may be shown as

Russian forces reportedly now control just under a fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. Poland’s foreign minister said that as Ukraine moves further into the country, seizes more territory and installs Russia’s leadership through sham elections, Ukrainian forces could eventually be forced to fight for Moscow. He said that there is a sex.

“he [Putin] They will recruit Ukrainians into the army to attack us,” Radosław Sikorski said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said he believed politicians were beginning to recognize the urgency of the reality, but said it was now up to them to persuade voters.

Denkov said: “We need all European citizens to understand that, as has happened many times throughout history, the lives we enjoy, the lives we want to be safe in, can disappear. We have to open our eyes.” “It is an urgent matter.”

As the war dragged on, public attention shifted from Ukraine to domestic political and security concerns as well as other global crises, including the Middle East.

In the United States, a new large-scale financial aid proposal for Ukraine, including $61 billion, is currently being debated in the House of Representatives, as lawmakers dispute the link between the war in Eastern Europe and U.S. national interests.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday that she expected the bill to be passed, possibly in March, and said any hesitance on both the US and Europe to provide more ammunition to Ukraine “reality has overcome. I should have done it.”

“We have to do a better job of convincing ourselves and our country and our government that we have to support Ukraine and ensure that it wins,” he said in Munich. Told.

This urgency was keenly felt by Ukrainian soldiers who spoke at the event. A former university lecturer who went to fight on the front lines and was imprisoned for three months described her fellow countrymen as “dogs of war,” moving many in attendance to tears and a standing ovation. .

“We are dogs of war,” she said. “The more she gave her blood, [war], as much as she wanted. ”

Historian Niall Ferguson, meanwhile, accused Western leaders of a “huge lack of imagination” that they too could become the “dogs of war”.

“It’s almost like we can’t imagine it happening to us,” he said, conjuring up images of Europeans and Americans who fought during World War II. “Why can’t we imagine this?”

“We must help our people imagine the dogs of war,” he continued. “Make these dogs of war visible to voters and politicians.”

Clinton said the responsibility is even more pressing as Russia ramps up its psychological warfare, citing Russia’s “extraordinary” efforts to influence minds and political decision-making.

“We have made extraordinary efforts to influence people’s minds and influence political decision-making, in order to make it difficult for political leaders in Bulgaria and elsewhere to really persuade the people,” he said. And we’re seeing successful efforts because they’re receiving so many messages “through social media and other sources,” she said.

A December report found that fake TikTok accounts are being used to spread disinformation about Russia’s war in Ukraine to millions of people and “artificially amplify pro-Russian discourse.” There was found.

“You can’t simply think that it’s their domain. [Russia] They’re going to rule without giving a fight, and we’re not even on the same playing field,” Clinton continued, noting that Russia already has influence across large swathes of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“Their messages about what this war is about, who the aggressors are and what the outcome will be remain unanswered.”