Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Koliba has warned that countries that “mistreated Ukraine” will be held to account after the war ends.
In an interview, he said that the choices each country made after a full-scale attack by Russia “will be taken into account in building future relations”.
He warned that delaying the delivery of Western weapons would cost Ukrainian lives.
“If a delivery is delayed for a day, it means someone is going to die on the front line,” he said.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Koliba also discussed how he believes the war will end, China’s role in the war, and his disappointment that Pope Francis has yet to protect his country during the war. did not visit
Mr Koliba spoke to JEE News at Ukraine’s imposed, Soviet-era foreign ministry in the center of Kiev, now protected by sandbags and armed guards.
Although Ukraine has received military and economic support from Western powers since the Russian invasion, many countries in Africa, Asia and South America have stayed away.
Some are historically sympathetic to Russia, some worry about the economic costs of the war, and others believe the West is unnecessarily prolonging the conflict.
But Mr Kolyba made it clear that countries that have failed to support Ukraine now – those that, he said, “misbehaved and mistreated Ukraine during this war” – will pay the price in the future. Will have to.
Ukraine may depend on Western aid and military support in the medium to long term, and so its diplomatic disapproval may not bother some countries. But Ukraine’s huge peacetime grain exports give it considerable economic leverage, especially in parts of the developing world.
“If anyone in the world thinks that the way this or that country behaved – or treated Ukraine at the darkest moment in its history – will not be taken into account in building future relations, These people just don’t know how diplomacy works.” They said.
“War is a time when you have to make choices. And every choice is recorded.”
Mr Koliba said Western allies were not quick enough to provide military aid to Ukraine because they were not prepared for a conflict on the scale of World War I. And what he needed were artillery shells.
“We want partners to act quickly,” he said. “And if a delivery is delayed for a day, that means someone is going to die on the front line.
“It means that anyone who could live is going to die.”
Nowhere has the demand for ammunition been greater than in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces have been besieged for more than seven months against repeated Russian attempts to seize the city.
Mr Koliba said it was “emotionally very difficult” because of the losses.
But if Bekhmut fell, the other cities would follow: “So to save lives there…we’ll have to fight in Bekhmut as long as we physically can.”
He said there was no sign Russia was ready to negotiate an end to the fighting, but added: “Every war ends at the negotiating table… but as foreign minister my aim is to It is to ensure that Ukraine comes to the table. After a clear victory on the battlefield.”
And that includes building the strongest possible coalition of support, a coalition that he believes does not include the Pope. Mr Koliba said it was not for him but for God to judge the Holy Father but, adding: “We deeply regret that the Pope has not had the opportunity to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Got it.”
China has also so far resisted Ukrainian lobbying for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although the Chinese leader is expected to visit Moscow soon.
Mr Koliba said his president was open to a telephone conversation with Mr Xi, adding: “I don’t think China has reached the point now… when it is ready to arm Russia. “
