Kuleba gave a speech via video conference at the Ukraine-Oxford 2023 conference on “European Horizons for Ukraine”.
Stating that the uncertainty in Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership is one of the biggest strategic mistakes, Kuleba said, “Western politicians presented their hesitations as a cautious policy aimed at alleviating Russia’s fears. “It wasn’t a strategy, it was a lack of strategy,” he said.
Minister Kuleba pointed out that Russia has implemented a long-term strategy towards Ukraine, unlike the West, and said that Russia took action where the West suspected.
Kuleba said, “Let’s imagine for a moment what European security would be like if Ukraine fell a few days after the invasion, as some predicted. The international position, prestige and influence of NATO and the EU would have fallen to the lowest level in history. “The safety and well-being of millions of families in Europe and the West in general would be directly threatened.”
Expressing that his partners understand how the security of Ukraine is connected with the security of Europe, Kuleba said:
“Military support that was unthinkable a year ago has now become a reality. At the moment, it is important that all the support packages announced are delivered quickly so that Ukraine can gain a decisive advantage. There can be no prohibition on the supply of weapons. Ukraine should take everything, including warplanes.”
Underlining that “Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership should not be perceived as a charity or ransom,” Kuleba said, “Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership will be a guarantee of long-term peace and stability.”