President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine badly wants to mobilise an extra 450,000-500,000 people into the army which would cost the country’s economy a whooping $13.5billion but wants his planners to tell him where to find this money.
“As the president of Ukraine and the one who spends a lot of time looking for sources of any financial support for Ukraine, I need clarity from the prime minister and the finance ministry: I need to know where to get this money from,” Zelensky replied.
President Zelensky was on Tuesday giving his year-in-review brief on the situation in war-torn Ukraine and its prospects for the future, while taking on questions from domestic and international journalists.
To a question about the proposed mobilization of men under 27 and women Zelensky said, “As to women, no. As to 25-year-olds, I will agree to that if it is substantiated. I already see that it is needed.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Ukrainian and international journalists to sum up the outgoing year of the big war.
For two hours Zelensky answered questions about mobilization, Kyiv’s efforts to free Ukrainian military and civilian prisoners of Russia and military objectives for 2024, the stalled billions in US and EU aid, Poland and Israel, his relations with AFU Chief Commander Zaluzhny and his meeting with Hungary’s Premier Orbán.
Relations with Poland
The importance of relations with Poland at the press conference was marked, in particular, by the fact that two Polish mass media were given the opportunity to ask questions.
“Even when everyone in Ukraine saw that we had a conflict at the leadership level, Ukrainians began to defend you – not me, even though I was defending their interests!” Zelensky emotionally replied to Polish journalists.
In general, in his answers regarding relations with Poland, Zelensky emphasized the “brotherhood” of the Ukrainian and Polish peoples and “historical” gratitude on the part of Ukraine, recalled his fruitful visits to Poland together with First Lady Olena Zelenska… He did not forget to remind that currently “Ukrainians protect Poland with their lives.” “We defend your independence,” he said.
Zelensky spoke optimistically about the prospects for improving relations with the key neighbor, summing up his meeting with the newly elected Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk last week: “I believe that the new government will unblock the border. This blockade is artificial. We are ready for people in Poland not to suffer any losses, but we cannot politicize the issue of grain when everything is blocked.”
The president recalled the conditions under which Polish transporters began blocking the border with Ukraine: “At that time, we did not have the Black Sea corridor through which we could export grain. We had problems with Slovakia and Hungary… We did not have an opportunity for a compromise on the export of grain. We only asked to export it.”
According to Zelensky, Ukraine eventually found other ways to transport its grain, while Poland suffered financial losses: “Poland has lost financially. We have built a railroad corridor through Moldova and Romania. We have built a corridor across the Black Sea – and there were fewer exports through Poland. Did we want that? No.”
Despite all the difficulties in interstate relations and “conflict at the level of leaders,” “Ukrainians began to protect you, not me, although I protected their interests,” he told a Polish journalist.
Corruption among high officials in Ukraine
Responding to the question of UP journalist Mykhailo Tkach about corruption and enrichment of officials during the war, Zelensky nervously noted that during the war, all statesmen should be moral role models, but unfortunately, there is no such thing in Ukraine now.
“He [the deputy] is no different from a businessman who sets off fireworks on his birthday when the military is at war. I do not share these people. I believe that yes, all statesmen should be a moral example. Unfortunately, there is none. No, I can dissolve them, because then there will be elections, and elections cannot be held during a war,” he said.
Relations with Hungary and the conversation with Orbán
“I wish Orbán were from Latin America” is probably Zelensky’s best quote about Orbán so far, which describes the current state of relations between Ukraine and Hungary. The president mentioned the Hungarian leader while talking about his successful visit to Argentina and bilateral meetings with the leaders of a number of Latin American countries.
Zelensky said that he had never discussed a ceasefire, a concessions in the war with Russia or his dialogue with Putin with the Hungarian official.
“Maybe he raised this issue with his friends or EU leaders, or somewhere abroad, maybe in the United States… There was something like that in his speech. But for me it’s a bit strange, because sometimes his politics are not very friendly to us, and he knows this and heard this from me,” Zelensky stated.
When asked about a short conversation with Orbán in the Argentine parliament, he replied he had many questions to the Hungarian prime minister, including those about the lack of support for Ukraine and the reluctance to organize a bilateral meeting. However, he did not receive answers to any of them.
“I think we could find a diplomatic solution, and our parties will work on it… In any case, we are neighboring countries,” Zelensky said.
Relations with Zaluzhny
“I have a working relationship with Zaluzhny. He is responsible for the result on the battlefield,” said Zelensky. This is how he first commented on rumors about strained relations with the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces.
When asked about the plans to dismiss Zaluzhny, he told he was expecting a number of clear decisions from the military leadership of Ukraine: “There is a strategy – I am waiting for results and details.”
The president explained that now there is no place for any personal interests: “I do not develop difficulties in personal relationships. The state of Ukraine is not about personal interests. The main thing is the result – every day, in all positions, and responsibility for my work… To be the commander-in-chief is an honor, to be the president is an honor. I only have a personal relationship with my wife,” Zelensky said.
