Ukraine ambassador makes an early start
Makeiev: “Never believe in what Russia says”
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Ukraine's ambassador to Germany advises not to be deterred by the Russian president. The question of the use of nuclear weapons is deliberately left open by Putin, says Makeiev in the early start. “So that the whole world will be intimidated.”
Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, has recommended that the West not be intimidated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Never believe in what Russia says. Russia has no trust,” said Makeiev in the ntv early start. Putin had previously announced an “asymmetric response” from Russia if Ukraine attacked Russian territory with Western weapons. When asked whether this could mean nuclear weapons, Makeiev said: “He just leaves that open so that the whole world is intimidated.”
In the ambassador's opinion, Putin's statement that Russia has no ambitions to attack NATO should not be believed. “Russia is an empire. And what Putin wants is to restore the Soviet Union by intimidating and attacking everyone else. And we Ukrainians know exactly how best to counteract this: by being better armed, by better arming democracy than autocracy.”
Makeiev assumes that the promise by Western states to be allowed to use their weapons on Russian territory will change the situation on the ground. “Of course this makes a big difference for the residents of Kharkiv,” the ambassador said. “Russia can bomb the city of Kharkiv with rockets and artillery. And this city has been experiencing this for two years. And that is why it is our right under international law that we can and may attack military targets.”
Peace conference in Switzerland
Regarding the shortage of soldiers, the ambassador said that the approximately 600,000 able-bodied Ukrainian men who are currently in other countries cannot simply be forcibly recruited. “In a constitutional state, no one will step in and say men have to go back. What our government is trying to do is get all the men who are subject to military service to register. And we're also trying to show these people a clear path to what will happen if you sign up. ” Ultimately, it's about defending your own country. “We are trying to motivate our people. A lot of men and women signed up in the first days and weeks of the war. And of course it is anything but easy to live in Ukraine today.”
Makeiev expects a clear message to Russia from the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland in mid-June. They are trying to unite as many countries as possible “so that a clear signal can be sent to Russia: international law and the United Nations Charter must not be burned like the books in Ukrainian printing presses,” he said.
Russia was not invited to the summit in Lucerne. China has canceled its participation. Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Switzerland from the USA. “Our diplomats are working on it, and my president is traveling all over the world so that more and more heads of state come to Switzerland the week after next,” said Makeiev. Russia was specifically not invited. “We wanted to bring together those countries that follow and defend international law.”
