Zelensky: “Russia will benefit from any doubt that arises in the Ukraine conflict”

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The Ukrainian president has tried to garner continued support for his country in its war with the Kremlin.

Moscow will exploit any doubts or divisions that the collective West shows when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, according to the country’s president.

Volodymyr Zelensky was speaking at the second meeting of the European pan-continental political group (EPC) in Moldova, which aims to strengthen the continent’s response to the Kremlin’s aggression.

Although nothing concrete came out of the meeting, it represents a great opportunity for rare encounters between European leaders, as well as an opportunity for the Ukrainian president to rally support.

“Every doubt we show here in Europe is a moat that Russia will certainly try to occupy,” Zelensky said Thursday.

“Whether these doubts about vital security steps or doubts about our unity, or perhaps about our ability to meet the challenges of our time, every doubt brings more insecurity.”

The main topic of discussion was how to give security guarantees to Ukraine, with Zelensky publicly pushing for NATO membership.

But the road to joining will not be easy, especially since some members of the coalition do not support the idea.

It is also a major red line for the Kremlin and could be a valuable card to play during any eventual peace negotiations.

During the summit, Kaja Kalas, Prime Minister of Estonia, made it clear that support for Ukraine, for the time being, is unrelenting.

“I think this is important to give the Ukrainians hope and also to show Russia that we are behind Ukraine and that Ukraine’s place is in NATO,” she said.

“Of course, everyone understands that this cannot happen during the war, but it is important to get a very clear signal that Ukraine belongs to NATO and we are behind Ukraine.”

Choosing to hold the summit in Moldova was also seen as a message to the Kremlin.

It was held just 20 kilometers from the border and also follows the country that was granted EU candidate status in June last year at the same time as Ukraine.

The next step now is to try to form a consensus on what exactly will be offered to Ukraine over the next six weeks when NATO leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania.

While France has taken some steps with regard to wording calling for Ukraine to be given a clear path to membership, this is not the case for countries like Germany, which remain wary of offering any specific timetable.

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