Europe either wakes up this year or becomes Russia’s next target — Ukrainian diplomat

Valeriy Chaly, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine, shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"Putin seeks our capitulation. This is not just a conflict between two countries. This is Russian occupation and aggression, currently against Ukraine. What guarantees do we have that after a ceasefire, Russia won't withdraw 150,000 troops from our territory and redirect them to the border with Estonia or Poland via Belarus? This is a real threat. Right now, Europe is dragging its feet for one reason only – it believes that Ukraine, with the help of the United States, can contain Russia’s advance and prevent it from reaching European borders. But if this doesn't happen, and Ukraine stands alone in defense while part of its forces are sent to other territories, it will remind them of the time when they acted too slowly," he said.

This understanding is already present within intelligence agencies and ministries of defense. Politicians may be reluctant to discuss it yet, especially with upcoming elections in Germany and other countries, but they will have to answer to their citizens when drones reach their territories. Right now, they are turning a blind eye, but the war could come to them if they don't take action, Chaly noted.

"I’m confident that this year, Europe will wake up and fully engage, starting with instructors and veteran pilots on French Mirage and F-16s. This could then expand to involving technicians at military enterprises. We already have bilateral military cooperation agreements. We can bring in foreign instructors and move towards decisive joint actions. We need to work with Europe," he added.

Such wars end in three ways: the capitulation of one country, the capitulation of the other, or the exhaustion of both sides to the point where they can no longer continue fighting. Neither Ukraine nor Europe should rely solely on the United States as a panacea, although their contribution and role are crucial, Chaly emphasized.

"We must not forget about our partners, such as Japan and Norway, who can provide funds for purchasing American weapons. We need to engage with Scandinavian countries and the Arctic region, where Russia could shift the conflict further, as well as the Baltic Sea. We cannot rely on the hope that someone will solve these problems for Ukraine. If the international community sees that Ukraine lacks internal resolve and effective use of resources, aid may be insufficient. All resources must be directed to the front and the defense of the country," the diplomat said.

If Ukraine shows that it is determined to achieve results, Donald Trump and other leaders who like to win will support it, Chaly believes. Therefore, the country must reintroduce terms like "shared victory," "hope," and "result" into its vocabulary.

• Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump stated that preparations are underway for his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Putin will try to play along with Donald Trump, repeating the same military-political maneuver he used in 2019.
• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump “without preconditions.”