Zelenskyy calls on Balkan nations for weapons and support

절박한 젤렌스키, 발칸 국가들에 무기•지원 요청 For the first time since the war against Russia broke out, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Balkans asking for military support from the region’s leaders. Zelenskyy has been asking for more international support as the war is heading into its third year. At the European Parliament, EU President Ursula von der Leyen proposed using profits from frozen Russian assets to better support Ukraine. Lee Eun-jin reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been traveling around the world to drum up support for Ukraine to improve defensive capabilities against Russia, at a time of faltering military support from Western allies. Zelenskyy was in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to push for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war from Russia which was followed by a two-day summit of eleven countries from southeastern Europe, along with officials from the European Union and other international organizations. Speaking at the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit held in Albania on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the low ammunition supply is affecting the situation on the battlefield and called on leaders of Balkan countries for help. He also proposed holding a Ukraine-Balkan defense forum to strengthen arms cooperation. Albania was among the first countries to offer shelter to Ukrainian refugees, and continues to voice full support for Ukraine. It has provided military assistance in the form of ammunition and training for the Ukrainian military. But Ukraine did not receive full support for its war against Russia at the meeting. Kremlin ally Serbia has refused to align with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion and continues to sign cooperation agreements with Moscow. Meanwhile, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the European Union consider using profits from frozen Russian assets to buy military supplies for Ukraine. She urged the EU to do more on defense policy, adding that the threat of war for the EU “may not be imminent, but it is not impossible.“ “It is time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine. There could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live.“ Billions of Euros worth of Russian assets are being held in Europe. Belgium has estimated the figure to be around 195 billion U.S. dollars worth, and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has said that he wants to use all the interest on those funds for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News. #Ukraine_war #Volodymyr_Zelenskyy #Ukraine_Balkan_defense_forum #Europe #Ukrainian_President #Ukraine_crisis #ALBANIA_PEACE_SUMMIT #젤렌스키 #우크라이나전쟁 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-02-29, 12:00 (KST)