Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on 15 September that allies should increase support for Kyiv despite threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that actions do not match Putin’s words.
Ukraine has been urging allies for months to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against targets within Russia. However, Western allies postpone making a decision on this matter. Putin claimed recently that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with Western missiles would mean “direct participation of NATO countries and European countries in the war in Ukraine.”
“Putin’s threats do not work, so Ukraine’s allies should not give in to them,” Sybiha wrote on X.
The minister pointed to several instances where Putin’s threats did not materialize into action. “In spring 2022, he warned of unseen consequences if the West provided Ukraine with weapons for defense.” But, as Sybiha noted, “Weapons were provided. Putin did nothing.”
Sybiha further emphasized Putin’s pattern of inaction despite threats: “Putin threatened consequences for NATO enlargement, but did nothing when Finland and Sweden joined the Alliance.” Sybiha added, “Despite numerous threats, he took no action when Ukraine received F-16s.”
“Every time Putin faces strength, he retreats and finds ways to explain it to his people,” Sybiha argued. He contended that “Putin uses threats to weaken support for Ukraine. Instead, allies should boost it.”
“Fear and inaction only lead to deaths and crises. To restore peace, we need bravery, not fear,” Ukraine’s FM said.
The restriction on the use of long-range weapons doesn’t allow Ukraine to strike Russian logistics and airfields, allowing Russia to exert greater pressure on the frontline, in particular by massively using glide bombs.
In response to Putin’s intimidation, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that it was Putin who started the war in Ukraine and that “he can end it at any moment.”
The EU has also responded, stating that Putin’s threats “will not change the position” of the European Union regarding support for Ukraine.
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