Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the West during a press conference in Poland to use an estimated $250bn of frozen Russian assets to buy Kyiv weapons to fight its invading army.
The United States, Britain, several European Union member states, Japan, and Canada froze about $300bn of assets owned by Russia’s Central Bank after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“The strongest support for the Ukrainian army is to allocate the $250 billion. Ukraine will take this money, allocate a large amount for domestic production, and for the import of exactly those types of weapons that Ukraine does not have.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Also, the Ukrainian leader stated that “much more” help is needed for its war with Russia after the latest large-scale bombardment.
The attack forced Ukraine to shut down its energy sector in some areas. “Thanks to our air defence system and all the units involved, we are maintaining the operation of our energy system,” he voiced.
He added, “But we constantly need to strengthen the existing capabilities of the Ukrainian air shield.”
He noted, however, “our partners” in NATO and elsewhere “made promises that have not yet been fully realized.”
“We also talked about licenses for the production of air defense systems … which can become one of the effective security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is also realistic and must be fulfilled.
“We are grateful to everyone who helps our country. But this is much more than the needs of our country. Right now, the defence of Ukraine is proving whether Europe and the democratic world as a whole can stop wars reliably and for a long time.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine Expects US To Continue Support After Trump Inauguration
Moreover, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he expects the United States to keep bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities in the war against Russia after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine is seeking “strong” security guarantees and urged support to the Ukrainian armed forces as the war with Russia approaches its three-year mark.
Trump has picked retired General Keith Kellogg to be his special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war.
The incoming US leader has made ending the conflict a centrepiece of his foreign policy promises.
Meanwhile, Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be US Secretary of state, said that both Russia and Ukraine will need to make concessions to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio averred, “This conflict needs to end. It’s going to be hard work.”
He said that he hoped a ceasefire could be achieved in the conflict, but both sides need to have leverage for that to occur.
Also on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the United States issued new Russia-related sanctions targeting multiple individuals, a China-based entity, and a bank in Kyrgyzstan.
The US Department of the Treasury said on its website that it is moving against Russian efforts to evade US sanctions. “This action targets a sanctions evasion scheme established between actors in Russia and the People’s Republic of China [PRC] to facilitate cross-border payments for sensitive goods,” it added on its website.
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Wally Adeyemo stated, “Today’s actions frustrate the Kremlin’s ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine.”
He added that the expansion of mandatory secondary sanctions will reduce Russia’s access to revenue and goods.
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