Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for his reluctance to deliver tanks. “There are times when you shouldn’t hesitate,” said Zelensky on Thursday during a discussion with participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, to which he was connected via video.
“I don’t think it’s the right strategy if someone says I’m supplying tanks, if someone else is also supplying tanks or if someone from outside Europe is also supplying tanks,” said the Ukrainian President, without naming Scholz. According to information from the Süddeutsche Zeitung US President Joe Biden signaled his willingness in a telephone call on Tuesday Leopard-2-Supply main battle tanks to Ukraine. The prerequisite for this is that the Americans also leave battle tanks to Ukraine.
Zelensky attributed Ukraine’s recent lack of success in the war with Russia to the fact that there are currently too few weapons from allies: “We are waiting for help on the battlefield.” His country could win “not only with motivation and morale”.
“The vaccine against Russia’s tyranny, against its weapons, is available,” said Zelensky. “There is a list of countries that have this (Vaccine, editor’s note) to have. And there is a precise list of what we need. If you want to help us, do it. Just help us. Give us your guns and we will take our land back.”
Johnson calls for main battle tanks for Ukraine
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called for more support for Ukraine. “Give them the tanks. There’s nothing to lose,” Johnson said. Johnson called the fear that Russia’s president could use nuclear weapons in this case “nonsense”. Putin knows very well that countries like China and India will turn “massively against him”.
The former head of government complained that the West’s involvement in Ukraine was weaker than it used to be in Iraq, for example: “We do less to help, spend less money and risk less than we did in Iraq.”
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also pleaded in Davos to “help Ukraine as much as we can”.