Ukraine president Zelensky tells EU to do more after quick joining snub

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday, on Telegram, that the European Union (EU) should be doing more for the country, as it faces a Russian invasion. His message comes a day after the EU snubbed Ukraine’s request for a fast-tracked membership. 

“The European Union should do more. It must do more for us, for Ukraine”, and added, “The decisions of politicians must coincide with the mood of their people”. 

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EU leaders met in Versailles to discuss the fallout of the invasion, and address how to phase out using Russian gas and oil. They also decided to double the budget for military aid to Ukraine. 

Zelensky, meanwhile, has been constantly trying to rally support for his country. In the past weeks, he kept asking NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. However, after a series of refusals, he announced that the country had cooled to the idea of joining the military organization, saying that members were afraid to confront Russia. 

Notably, this had been Russia’s initial condition, while they were increasing troop presence along Ukraine’s border. President Vladimir Putin had conditioned that Ukraine must not join the EU or NATO. 

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However, with Russian troops now in Ukraine, attempts are going on between both nations to negotiate a ceasefire. Recently there were talks between the Foreign Ministers but no agreement was reached. Today, Kremlin has announced that Russia will allow fighters from Syria and the Middle East to fight the war in Ukraine. 

Zelensky also addressed this in his Telegram message, saying “It’s a war with a very stubborn enemy… who has decided to hire mercenaries against our citizens. Murderers from Syria, a country where everything has been destroyed… like they are doing here to us”. 

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Ukraine also has a legion of foreign fighters where it has welcomed people from all over the world to bolster its troop strength. There are reports of skilled soldiers joining the fight against Russia.