NATO Secretary General Calls for Diplomacy with Russia to Prevent Confrontation, While Ukraine President Urges Action at Munich Security Conference.
By: Krishna Yadav
Leaders and top officials from around the world have gathered in Munich, Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference, which this year has focused heavily on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the relationship between the United States and China. Notable high-profile speakers at the conference include China’s top foreign policy official and US Vice President Kamala Harris. However, absent from the conference for the first time in two decades is Russia, the country at the center of the Ukraine conflict.
During a virtual address to the conference, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western leaders to speed up weapons deliveries to his country, warning that any delays would help Russia as it prepares to launch a new offensive. He also called on the international community to help Ukraine defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and emphasized the need to support democracy and human rights.
The war in Ukraine has had significant economic consequences, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been in talks with Ukraine about providing further support. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she was “very pleased” with Ukraine’s strong performance in meeting the conditions of a monitored program, and that this paved the way for the fund to put in place a fully-fledged program for Ukraine.
At the conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on allies to send battle tanks to Ukraine, saying that Putin’s “revisionism” would not prevail. He said that his country would provide support with training, supplies, and logistics, and emphasized the need to prepare for a long war. French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke at the conference, calling on EU members to invest substantially in defense spending and intensify support for the Ukrainian people and its army.
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, called on the US and its European allies to impose harsher sanctions on Russia, including targeting Putin’s personal wealth, in response to the Russian president’s “breach of trust” in Ukraine. Herbst also called for the US and its allies to provide military aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons and air defense systems.
In contrast, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for dialogue with Russia on Friday, amid rising tensions between the Western military alliance and Moscow over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Stoltenberg said that NATO had to “prevent a dangerous spiral of confrontation” with Russia and that “we need to talk to Russia.”
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, defended his country’s foreign policy on Friday, amid criticism from Western officials over issues including its treatment of Uighur Muslims and its assertiveness in the South China Sea. Wang said that China’s foreign policy was “peaceful and defensive” and that the country was committed to “peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation with all countries.” He also called on the US to “abandon its Cold War mentality and zero-sum game thinking” and to work with China on issues including climate change and the global economic recovery.
In summary, the Munich Security Conference has brought together world leaders to discuss pressing global issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the relationship between the US and China. The conference has seen calls for increased military support for Ukraine, harsher sanctions on Russia, and dialogue with Russia to prevent further confrontation. China’s foreign policy has also come under scrutiny, with its top diplomat defending the country’s stance and calling for cooperation with the US on issues such as climate change and the global economic recovery.