Top MFA official: Important to give Ukraine hope alongside military aid
The main focus of support for Ukraine has been on providing material aid, but alongside this, we should not forget to give Ukrainians hope, said Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Jonatan Vseviov, explaining that it is important to give Kyiv the prospect of EU membership.
"In terms of support for Ukraine, the focus has often been on the material - weapons, humanitarian aid, economic support and later on reconstruction. All of this is extremely important, but there is one element that somehow gets ignored, one resource that cannot be quantified in a spreadsheet, and that is hope. The hope that the path the Ukrainians have chosen is still open, that they are moving in the right direction, despite the fact that the terrible war shows no signs of abating," Vseviov said on current affairs television show "Ringvaade."
"It is very important here to give Ukraine the prospect of EU membership. Officially, this is called candidate status. European leaders will start discussing this in the near future. The process requires the European Commission to make a recommendation, which is then discussed by the member states. Our view is, that hope must be given to Ukraine," he added.
Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the country has received only 10 percent of the military assistance it has requested from its Western partners. Vseviov said the aid would be delivered as soon as possible.
"I can assure you that all the aid Estonia has pledged was delivered (to Ukraine) before we had time to announce it," he added.
Vseviov acknowledged that some countries still have to make more effort to ensure their deeds match their words when it comes to providing Ukraine with military assistance.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Michael Cole