Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that the European Union could be affected if Ukraine fails to win its battle with Russia, telling CNBC that “if Ukraine fails, war will come to the streets of European cities.” “
“Putin does not have the strength and power today to fight multiple wars,” Kuleba said, citing the recent collapse of the Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria as an example. Kuleba warned, however, that he does have “the resources to fight one war at a time,” meaning Europe would be the Russian president’s next target if Ukraine collapses.
Regarding joining NATO, a pledge Ukraine has been pursuing for years, Kuleba called it a necessary step to prevent another conflict with Russia in the future.
“In theory, suspending Ukraine’s membership of NATO can help end the fighting and achieve a ceasefire, but it will not prevent a second Russo-Ukrainian war from occurring,” he said.
Destruction caused by the Russian attack on Kostianevka, Ukraine on November 21, 2024.
Diego Herrera | Diego Herrera Anadolu | Getty Images
Kuleba added that security guarantees were not enough as an alternative to membership, saying most proposals had been awarded to Ukraine as part of commitments signed with several countries, including Britain.
The former minister believes that when “serious people” sit down to discuss the prospects of Ukraine joining the union, they will realize that this is the only way forward.
Ukraine’s membership of NATO has been a fraught and sensitive issue for several of the organization’s members, whose unanimous approval is required to accept a new member.
President-elect Trump
With President-elect Donald Trump set to return to the White House in January, Kuleba said it remains to be seen what specific policies he will implement, calling recent talks between Zelensky and Trump “a good sign.” The two leaders met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris ahead of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. After meeting with Ukraine’s president, Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the nearly three-year-old war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attends a joint briefing with Dutch Foreign Minister Hank Bruins Slaughter.
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Donald Trump previously claimed during the campaign that he could end the war “in 24 hours” if elected. At the same time, Kuleba stressed that “the key to peace” lies in Moscow, not Kiev. The former foreign minister said Trump’s first focus should be getting Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate in good faith.
Regarding the potential terms of the peace deal, Kuleba said President Zelensky will “do everything in his power not to allow any peaceful solution to come at the expense of Ukraine” and that no political leader in Ukraine will allow the cession of territory as it violates the country’s constitution.
Use of US weapons to attack Russian territory
In an interview with Time magazine this week, President-elect Trump criticized a recent major policy change by President Joe Biden that would allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied ATACMS to carry out strikes inside Russia. He called the move “crazy” and accused the government of “escalating the war and making the situation worse.”
Earlier on Friday, a Kremlin spokesman praised Trump’s criticism, saying his comments were consistent with Moscow’s “view on the reasons for the escalation.”
Asked about Trump’s remarks, Kuleba said Ukraine “cannot stand idly by” while the situation with Russia continues to escalate. “When the enemy throws more and more cannon fodder into the battle to capture more villages and more square kilometers of land… there is nothing wrong with escalation,” he said.
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the early hours of Friday morning. The Ukrainian government reported that nearly 200 drones and 93 missiles were launched into the country during the attacks.
