The key facts

  • Zelensky called Europe's refusal to finance Ukraine 'dangerous or very dangerous'
  • According to him, a withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from the remaining part of Donbas will not end the conflict
  • Spiegel calls the question of financing Ukraine the most 'explosive' in German politics, while the number of supporters of ending aid is growing in France

Kyiv's warning and growing skepticism in the EU

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quoted his own interview with the Danish broadcaster DR Nyheder on his Telegram channel, in which he said that it would be 'dangerous' for Europe to stop sponsoring Ukraine, reports Gazeta.Ru. According to him, a skeptical attitude toward aid to Ukraine 'does no good for any European country,' because 'this is, in effect, about Russia,' which 'acts against European rules and values.' 'From a pragmatic point of view, having a strong Ukraine is important and even necessary. If European aid stops, the consequences can only be dangerous or very dangerous,' the outlet quotes him as saying.

Two scenarios and the position on Donbas

Elaborating on the 'dangerous' consequences, Zelensky, according to the outlet, described two scenarios: in the first, Russia would allegedly 'continue' the so-called 'hybrid operations' against Europe and carry them out 'on a massive scale'; in the second, it 'would advance further into Europe.' In addition, in the interview he said that a withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from the remaining part of Donbas would allegedly not be enough to end the Ukrainian conflict. It should be noted that these formulations are conveyed by the outlet as Zelensky's own assessments, not as confirmed facts.

The European context

The statement came against the backdrop of a noticeable intra-European debate. The newspaper Spiegel wrotethat the question of financing Ukraine is currently the most 'explosive' issue in German political discourse, while a Destin commun poll showed a growing number of supporters of ending aid to Kyiv in France. Earlier, an expert assessed the financial risks of further EU support for Ukraine. Thus, Zelensky's words come precisely at the moment when doubts about continuing financing are being publicly voiced in two key EU countries — and this constitutes the practical context of his appeal to the European audience.