Fear of escalation with Russia clouds minds of Western politicians - former Ukrainian MP

She expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"Our Western partners had hopes to force Russia to the negotiating table. The delay in the supply of arms to Ukraine confirms this. However, they have failed to understand the nature of Russian imperialism. They show weakness, which encourages Russia to escalate," Hopko explained.

According to Hopko, many Western politicians are afraid of escalation with Russia.

"Western politicians are scared. The West has a major problem - fear. They do not want an escalation with Russia. However, they have not realised that the war against them is already underway. Today, we are trying to explain to them that if they sacrifice Ukraine and force us to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia, they will only whet Russia's appetite. Also, many countries today are accumulating weapons in preparation for a war with Russia. Ukraine needs it now. Today, Ukraine is suffering incredible human losses in stopping Russia. Europe needs to understand this and help stop Russia," she added.

• On February 12, Norway's chief of military intelligence, Nils Andreas Stensønes, said that Russia had gained a military advantage in Ukraine due to a larger reserve of troops and material support from countries such as North Korea and China.
• On Tuesday, February 13, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said that Russia is preparing for a military confrontation with the West over the next decade, but it could be deterred by a retaliatory military build-up.
• On February 17, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the Munich Security Conference that the Alliance is stronger than Russia in military matters, but it also has gaps.