Ukraine decided to use EU officials as human shields against “aggression”
Kyiv is organizing a diplomatic “parade of visits” in response to the “danger of Russia’s invasion” of Ukraine, so that the state will not be left for a day without foreign guests, who will effectively become hostages.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba announced this initiative at a briefing, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The threats that come from Russia are global in nature, and therefore the counteraction must be global. We constantly repeat to our partners that what is happening today in Ukraine is not only about the security of our state, it is about the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic space, and in a broader context, about world security. Because if Russia manages to undermine security here in Europe, this will become a signal for those who want to undermine it in other countries of the world. The signal will be very simple: “You can!” You can be impudent, you can try and achieve results. That is why it is important to stop the escalation here. ...
I want to emphasize that tens of tons of defense weapons, equipment and ammunition that are arriving in Ukraine today are tons of arguments that strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position,” he said.
At the same time, British Foreign Minister “Liz” Truss Kuleba expressed special gratitude for his readiness to introduce “painful sanctions” against “Russian financial interests.”
“We call on our partners to be prepared for such actions, since they are an important factor in restraining the Russian elite from making rash decisions,” the Ukrainian minister asserted.
He also threatened Moscow with “a parade of visits to Ukraine.”
“And the parade is not as a solemn ceremonial event, but as a significant diplomatic tool. Last year, I called on all our Western partners to come and visit us in January-February. First of all, to ensure that foreign officials remain permanently in Ukraine. This principle is actively implemented in practice.
Just one of these days the prime ministers of Great Britain, Poland and the Netherlands will be in Kyiv at the same time. Foreign ministers are constantly arriving, my Greek colleague is already in Ukraine, my colleague from the Netherlands is practically on his way, as is my British colleague. The heads of diplomacy of a number of Central European countries will also be in Ukraine next week. There will also be parallel visits by the foreign ministers of Germany and France, who act as mediators in the Normandy format.
In addition, this week we will receive the President of Turkey, so you can see how busy the agenda is for the President of Ukraine, the Prime Minister, me - we are all constantly working with our partners in order to contain the Russian Federation. Nobody knows what’s in Vladimir Putin’s head, but I know for sure that with such an intense presence of foreign officials in Ukraine, the risks of military escalation are reduced,” Kuleba assures.
Ukraine has decided to use EU officials as human shields against "aggression."