'Shame on you and shame': Zelensky harshly criticized NATO leaders, they met his speech with a standing ovation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO to provide Ukraine with just one percent of all its weapons so that it can win the war with Russia. Writes about it with the BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

In a video message to the participants of the NATO summit in Brussels, he said that Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to representatives of the Alliance with a request to provide or sell military equipment.

“You can give us one percent of all your aircraft. One percent of all your tanks. One percent! We can't just buy it. Such deliveries directly depend only on the decision of NATO, on political decisions. Multiple launch rocket systems MORS. Anti-ship weapon. Air defense means, the President of Ukraine stressed. – Is it possible to survive in such a war without it? So when it all finally happens, it will give us, as well as you, one hundred percent security. And we need only one of your weapons.

“We just want to save our people. We want to survive! Like any nation, we have the right to do so. The right to live. The right to this percentage,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not mention the topic of Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance in his speech, but he urged not to make statements that the Ukrainian army does not meet NATO standards.

“The only thing I demand from you after such a month of war is that you never tell us that our army does not meet NATO standards,” the President of Ukraine stressed.

Will article 5 work

Volodymyr Zelensky, among other things, expressed doubts that the fifth article of the North Atlantic Treaty would work in the event of a Russian attack on a NATO country, and asked the leaders of the Alliance countries if they were sure of this.

“Russia wants to go further – against the eastern members of NATO, the Baltic states and Poland. That's right... Do you have confidence that the fifth article will work. The Budapest Memorandum no longer worked for us,” he said.

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Article XNUMX of the North Atlantic Treaty provides that an attack on a NATO member country is an attack on the entire Alliance.

“The issue of the fifth article is fundamental. I just want you to know what we think about it. And I sincerely wish you that we are wrong. In their assessments. In your doubts. And for it to be so - that you really have a very strong Alliance. If we're wrong, the world is safe. But if we are not mistaken even by one percent, I ask you to reconsider your attitude. And really take care of security,” Zelensky urged.

Waiting for the NATO summit

NATO leaders meeting on March 24 are to discuss the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's role in this crisis, and will determine the next steps to strengthen the deterrence and defense of NATO countries.

At a press conference on March 23, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke about the expected decisions at the summit.

They involve the creation of four new NATO battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, the strengthening of NATO forces and assets in all areas - on land, at sea, in the air, space and cyberspace.

In addition, NATO must decide on additional support for Ukraine and increased support for other partners who may come under pressure from Russia.

“The decisions we have to make will have far-reaching consequences,” stressed Jens Stoltenberg.

To strengthen Euro-Atlantic security, NATO allies need to redouble their efforts and invest more in defence, he said.

Zelensky's information war

While his army is stubbornly fighting on the battlefields in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky is waging an information war in the capitals of the Western world, writes with the BBC.

In two weeks, he addressed the parliamentarians of 10 countries, and everywhere he received a standing ovation.

Dressed in a green T-shirt, with days of stubble, he communicates via video link from the Ukrainian capital and often salutes with a clenched fist. When there is applause, he disappears. He is in a hurry - he is waiting for really existential questions.

“He knows how to embody the spirit of a nation,” says Jonathan Eyal of the Royal Joint Institute for Defense Studies. “Not only in his speeches, but also about how and where he does it.”

Successful adaptation

Zelensky's speeches, which have started in the British Parliament, have the only immediate goal - to enlist international support. And for this, the Ukrainian president resorts to specially prepared messages.

From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the 11/XNUMX attacks on New York and Washington, Zelensky recalls the epic events and traumas of other nations.

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In Paris, he uttered the national motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity". In Japan, he mentioned a nuclear catastrophe.

These are not subtle diplomatic references. And they shouldn't be. They operate deeper, at the level of instincts.

Zelensky almost immediately gets to the heart of the matter. A minute or two after starting his speech in London, he compared the 13 days of war in Ukraine to the Battle of England, the biggest British air battle in World War II.

Starting with Shakespeare ("To be or not to be"), he moved on to Churchill. Zelensky did not name the British leader, but subtly adapted Churchill's iconic June 4, 1940 speech to fit the realities of Ukraine.

“We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the coasts, in cities and villages, on the streets,” he said.

Each time, Zelensky's appeals to Western countries take on a harsher note. He is not afraid to reproach and scold the West for what, in his opinion, does not support Ukraine enough.

The power of shame

“In every speech he asks: what kind of people are you? – analyzes the rhetoric of the Ukrainian leader Nomi Claire Lazar from the University of Ottawa. What nation are you? If you make a mistake before this challenge of fate, then shame on you and shame.

In a speech before the US Congress, which was full of references to Pearl Harbor, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rushmore, Zelensky spoke in terms that could hardly be called diplomatic.

“We ask for an answer,” he pleaded. - Respond to terror. Is this too big a request?

Speaking before the Italian parliament, Zelensky again shamed the audience by stressing that Putin's entourage loves to vacation in Italy.

"Don't be a killer resort," he urged.

As the president of a country subjected to an unprovoked invasion, Zelensky has earned the right to such rhetoric, Professor Lazar believes.

He feels the need to shake the remnants of complacency from his audience.

“I think he and his team are somewhat disappointed,” says Arysya Lutsevich of the Chatham House think tank. “They don’t feel that people are hit to the core.”

ovation

Each of Zelensky's speeches, co-written with his aide Dmytro Lytvyn, has its audience: politicians smitten by his unconventional direct rhetoric are frozen in the uncomfortable light of the Ukrainian leader's righteous anger.

But these speeches are also aimed at his people.

Zelenskiy speaks Ukrainian and avoids formal costumes. This is an extraordinary transformation for a politician whose approval ratings had been declining in the months leading up to the war.

Before the war, Zelenskiy's past as a comedian was often a liability. But in the current environment, it has suddenly become an asset.

“Comedians make a living because of a very close connection with their audience,” explains Professor Lazar. “They make us feel uncomfortable: rejoice and laugh.”

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“He is trying to create pressure,” analyzes Professor Lazar. “Internal pressure on governments, which is especially important because what he is asking for is really expensive.”

Setting the agenda

This, in the end, is the whole point. Zelensky did not go on a virtual tour of the world's legislatures to draw condolences. Ukraine is fighting for its existence and will be able to continue doing so only with massive and constant military assistance from its allies.

For several weeks, Zelensky has been asking NATO to introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. He knows he will be rejected. But he can get something else, no less important, Arisya Lutsevich believes.

The head of Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, proposed an alternative to the no-fly zone.

“Please close our sky. Or finally give us long-range air defense systems,” said Yermak.

And steps to increase the combat capability of the Ukrainian air defense are already being taken. The US is reportedly considering supplying Ukraine with obsolete but efficient Soviet-made equipment.

Jonathan Eyal says Zelenskiy's tenacious approach is paying off: "Western leaders are going to have a day of intense discussions soon, and that's exactly what will be on the agenda: what other equipment needs to be handed over to Ukraine."

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• On the night of February 24 began full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine.
• In the light of these events in Russia and around the world, protests against the invasion of Ukraine.
• US and UK imposed broad economic sanctions against Russia because of her invasion of Ukraine.
• February 25 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk (Belarus) for negotiations with Kiev. He specified that the delegation will include representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the presidential administration.
• In the USA there were large-scale rallies in support of Ukraine.
• Pope Francis visits the Russian Embassy February 25, to personally "express his concerns about the war" in Ukraine, which made an unprecedented deviation from diplomatic protocol.
• European Union, USA and UK imposed sanctions and froze the assets of Putin and Lavrov.
• The United States declared its readiness to start accept refugees from Ukraine.
• February 26, the world famous and one of the most popular groups of hackers Anonymous recorded a video message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They promised to find all "skeletons in the closet" and "leave no stone unturned".
• As it became known, the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn is located in Ukraine and is making a documentary for Vice about events in the country.
• February 28 The world's largest aircraft An-225 was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it caused alarm and sadness among the aviation world, in which it occupies an almost cult status.
• On the same day, the United States and France called on their citizens immediately consider leaving Russia.
• From the very beginning of the invasion, many actions took place around the world in support of Ukraine. How it was in the USA, see our material.
• On March 1, the United States asked 12 Russian diplomats from the United Nations leave the US accusing them of "espionage activities" as Russia continues its advance into Ukraine.
• March 2 Russian businessman Alex Konanykhin offered $1 million reward for dead or alive Putin.
• Airbus and Boeing refused to work with Russia, and this endangers almost all civil aviation.
• March 3 CEO and founder of the Russian TV channel "Rain" announced the suspension of the channel. This is due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Which of the Hollywood stars supported Ukraine, and who was on the side of Russia, read here.
• What Russians living in Ukraine say about the war, you can find out in our material.
• Which companies left Russia and how it hit the economy, read on link.
• Where citizens of Ukraine can receive special services in Poland - by link.
• The US State Department has warned citizens of Ukraine that the US Mission in Ukraine does not currently offer visa services. That's it services provided in Germany.
• Meanwhile, the killers tried to kill the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky at least three times since Russia invaded his country on February 24.
• In Russia, the situation with free media is becoming more and more difficult. Even relatives of Ukrainians from Russia do not believe in shelling of Ukraine.
• Russian diplomats announced persona non grata, left the US, and the Russian airlines stop international flights.
• Meanwhile at the International Court of Justice in The Hague began consideration of the claim of Ukraine to Russia. The subject of the lawsuit is allegations of genocide. The International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that Russia must stop hostilities in Ukraine as interim measures pending consideration of Kyiv's complaint about Moscow's misinterpretation of the Genocide Convention as a pretext for aggression.
• Russia began active preparations for shutdown from the global internet.
• Thousands of Ukrainians leave the country: 11-year-old boy from Zaporozhye made it to the border with Slovakia and crossed it on foot.
• USA support Ukraine – government officials and ordinary Americans alike: 20 workers in West Coast ports refuse tohandle Russian cargo. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was awarded a medal Liberty Ronald Reagan.
• Tesla will continue to pay salaries to employees who decide to go to fight in Ukraine.
• In the meantime, the sanctions are taking effect: Russia is rapidly rising in price or disappearing from the sale of drugs and medical equipment manufactured by countries that have imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation because of the war in Ukraine. Down on the country iron curtain. The world is on the hunt on the assets of Russian oligarchs.
• Russia cannot establish a dialogue with the world - she threatens to leave from the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
• To further assist Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor, Congress approved an emergency military and humanitarian package. assistance in the amount of $13,6 billion. Biden, among other things, wants take away trade privileges from Russia in relations with America.
• The United States has banned deliveries to Russia dollar bills and restricted access to cryptocurrencies, and world educational organizations will no longer recognize diplomas issued by Russian universities.
• Intelligence sources claim that Vladimir Putin suffering from a brain disorder caused by dementia, Parkinson's disease or "steroid rage". He named Russians living in a large area in Miami and the French Riviera, traitors to their homeland.
• U.S. President Joe Biden says he considers Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" for his attacks on Ukraine. This was the first time Biden publicly branded Putin with this phrase. He then called him a "bloody dictator" and a "pure thug".
• A US citizen was killed in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. His sister said that his brother was killed while he was standing in line for bread with other civilians.
• Countess Alexandra Tolstaya, former partner of the Russian oligarch - "Kremlin banker" Sergei Pugachev, spoke about Russian President Vladimir Putin and how he is with close people.
• According to intelligence, representatives of the Russian elite are considering the possibility of "poisoning, sudden illness, accident" to remove Putin and restore economic ties with the West.
• Trump believes that Biden took too weak a stance on Ukraine.
• According to a list compiled by the Yale School of Management, more than 400 companies have announced their withdrawal from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. However, for some brands, it's easier said than done.
• In the meantime, the war continues, the world is making predictions about the future developments. For example, the American philosopher, political scientist, political economist and writer Yoshihiro Francis Fukuyama spoke about what awaits Russia in the war against Ukraine. Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke about the war, the chances for peace and the Stockholm syndrome of Russians.

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