Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats should not affect the position of Ukraine's allies. He stressed that Putin's rhetoric, which was used to pressure the West, had proved ineffective and called on allies to increase support for Ukraine.
Sibiga recalled that in the spring of 2022, Putin threatened severe consequences if Ukraine provided weapons for defense. However, despite providing weapons, Putin did not take the promised actions. This rhetoric has been repeated many times in recent years, but has not brought the desired result for the Kremlin.
“When Putin is faced with force, he backs down and finds ways to explain it to his people,” Szybiga said. He stressed that Putin’s threats are aimed at weakening support for Ukraine from Western allies. Instead, the minister said, the allies should increase their assistance, not reduce it.
Szybiga called on allies to lift restrictions on military assistance and strengthen Ukraine's long-range capability, air shield, and economic and energy resilience. He stressed that fear and delay lead to greater losses and crises, and that courage is needed to restore peace.
"Restore peace requires courage, not fear," the minister concluded.
