Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening video address that force and diplomacy must work together to end the Russian-led war in Ukraine and ensure that such a conflict will not be repeated in the future, reported Reuters and Ukrinform, quoted by BTA.
"We understand very clearly that diplomacy has no prospects without force," Zelensky said. "But without a clear understanding of diplomatic objectives, weapons alone will not do the job. That is why force and diplomacy must work hand in hand.
This is the only way to ensure lasting peace and prevent the recurrence of such conflicts, he added.
Zelensky steadfastly calls for a "fair" end the war and lobbied the US and its NATO allies to arm Kiev and help force Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace. He stated that Ukraine is only ready for a "fair" diplomacy.
Ukraine is also asking its allies to allow Kiev to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep into Russian territory and undermine Moscow's military infrastructure.
Zelensky's call for increased diplomatic efforts was made after former Republican President Donald Trump defeated the pro-Ukraine Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the US presidential election, Reuters recalls. During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly stated that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, without specifying how. According to "Washington Post" On Thursday, Trump spoke to Putin and advised him not to escalate the war, a source told Reuters. Kyiv's foreign ministry said it had not been informed of the conversation.
"We are working with our US partners on new defense packages that strengthen our air defense system. This is crucial as we enter winter and face continued Russian strikes," Zelensky added in his video address, as quoted by Ukrinform. He also stressed that Ukraine needs real progress on long-range weapons.
"There is already a solution that allows American contractors to work in Ukraine for equipment repair and maintenance, which will significantly speed up these processes," Zelensky added. He reminded that Ukraine's partners made important decisions this week.
"France has decided on a package of missiles. We are also continuing with France an extremely valuable training program for our warriors. Thank you for that!", emphasized the Ukrainian president.
Zelensky also thanked Canada for the joint work on the delivery of additional NASAMS air defense systems, as well as Great Britain - for making a new decision on sanctions against "Russian entities participating in military actions".
"A new military package from Lithuania is also being prepared. We also work together to raise funds for the purchase and production of weapons in Ukraine. "Sweden has also made new commitments, both in civil and military support, especially in relation to our maritime security," Zelensky noted.
The war, which began with Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbor in February 2022, has claimed thousands of lives, turned towns and villages into rubble and displaced millions of Ukrainians, Reuters recalls. During a Russian air attack on the southern Ukrainian Mykolaiv region last night, two civilians were killed, a woman was injured and several residential buildings were set on fire, regional governor Vitaly Kim announced in Telegram.