Quotes
A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot,
Zelenskyy stated
We will not accept that people who look at Germany from the outside intervene in our democracy and our elections,
Scholz said, in an apparent reference to Vance’s meeting with leaders from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) partyThe threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia; it's not China."
Vance lectured Europeans at the conference, telling them
Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement, and the same rule should apply to all of Europe,
Zelenskyy saidWhat I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America,
the vice president saidIt will not happen if we are not serious, if we are not honest with the people telling them that spending more for defense will mean that we have to increase also the debt we have,
Scholz saidWe want the killing to stop, but we want to achieve a durable, lasting peace,
Vance saidWhile the Trump administration is very concerned with European security, and believes that we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine, we also believe that it's important in the coming years for Europe to step up in a big way to provide for its own defense,
Vance saidWithout the Ukrainian army, European armies will not be enough to stop Russia. This is the reality. Only our army in Europe has real, modern warfare experience,
he added
It is no more complicated than standing firm against Russian attacks, as we have already done. But it is not just about increasing defence spending as a percentage of GDP. Of course, we need money, but money alone cannot stop the enemy's advance,
he addedI am not sure if they will attack Ukraine, but they will attack. Maybe Ukraine, maybe Poland, maybe the Baltic countries,
said ZelenskyyAmerica needs to see where Europe is heading, ... and this direction of European policy shouldn’t just be promising, it should make America want to stand with a strong Europe."
Zelenskiy said
If this (Ukraine-Russia) war ends the wrong way, he (Putin) will have a surplus of battle-tested soldiers who know nothing but killing and looting,
he said, citing intelligence reports indicating Russia will dispatch troops to close ally Belarus, another neighbour of Ukraine, this summerDoes America need Europe as a market? Yes. But as an ally? I don’t know. For the answer to be yes, Europe needs a single voice, not a dozen different ones."
He continuedLet's be honest - now we can't rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it,
said Zelenskiy, speaking as the war triggered by Russia's invasion of his country will soon enter its fourth yearIt's obvious that there are those (in the Ukrainian government) who will continue to oppose any attempts to launch a negotiation process, and it's obvious that those people will do everything to try to derail this process,
he added
God bless, we will stop this crazy guy."
The Ukrainian leader added
This is really what he wants. He wants pause, prepare, train, take off some sanctions, because of ceasefire,
Zelenskyy said
We must act as Europe, not as some separate people,
Zelenskyy saidIf not NATO membership, then conditions to build another NATO in Ukraine,
he said