Ukraine’s president condemns Western ‘appeasement’ of Putin in blistering address in MUNICH and vows to protect the country ‘with or without support’ from Europe – before leaders give him standing ovation with Russia expected to invade in days
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is speaking at a conference in Munich, Germany amid Russian drills
- The leader warned that sanctions will not work against Russia once bombing starts as he appealed for support
- Mr Zelensky said that he wants a ‘clear’ timeframe for when Ukraine can join the NATO defence organisation
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Ukraine’s president has called on the West to stop their ‘appeasement’ of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts, to a standing ovation from world leaders.
Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum in Munich that his country deserves stronger international support after acting as a buffer against Russian expansion.
The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler’s Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war.
Zelensky said today: ‘Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security …
‘But we have a right – a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.’
He added: ‘For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.’
Ukraine’s president has called on the West to stop their ‘appeasement’ of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts
Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post ‘Matveev Kurgan’ in Rostov region
The Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces, the military reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, take part in a military drill outside Kyiv
Zelensky also said he wants a ‘clear’ timeframe for when Ukraine can join the NATO alliance.
‘What can we do? We can continue forcefully supporting Ukraine and its defences. Present… clear, feasible timeframes for membership of the Alliance,’ he said.
The president also called for a meeting with Putin in order to avoid any conflict.
He said: ‘I do not know what the Russian president wants. For this reason, I propose that we meet.’
Zelensky was warned not to travel to Munich today through fear that Russia may launch an attack in his absence.
Putin is putting on a show of military strength with new nuclear drills as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean.
The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving ‘strategic forces’ which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today’s drills ‘should not cause anyone concern’ and said Russia had informed the proper channels.
Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today’s manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin
A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system ‘Iskander’ from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022
A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022
A Tu-22M3 Russian bomber flies over the Mediterranean after taking off from the Hemeimeem air base in Syria in Putin’s latest show of force
Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus
Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites
Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post ‘Matveev Kurgan’ in Rostov region
The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation
Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions.
The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.
The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal – or Dagger – can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences.
The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country.
Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total.
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