16 March 2022 20:17

Politics

Zelenskyy about Pearl Harbor and demand for Kyiv to surrender weapons: Foreign media digest as of March 16

Authors

Olexandra Zakharova , Ksenia Lisna

Western media continue to cover the war in Ukraine: today, on March 16, the media covered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the US Congress that gave him standing ovation, the United States promised additional financial assistance to Ukraine, and the British media started reporting that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are nearing completion, but the RF demands a neutral status from Ukraine.

offers an up-to-date review of what the European and American media are reporting about the 21st day of active Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy quoted Martin Luther King

Photo: President's Office

Sky News reports that Zelenskyy echoed Martin Luther King in his asked for a no-fly zone. The President of Ukraine told Congress that they all know the phrase "I have a dream." He continued:

He continued: "I have a need — I need to protect our skies."

Zelenskyy said he is grateful for the support he has received from President Joe Biden and the US, but said they must "do more". He added that if a no-fly zone is too much to ask, then Ukraine needs planes and air defense systems.

The BBC also quoted Zelenskyy as saying that Ukraine is grateful for its support in the war but needs more.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave credit to the "personal involvement" of US President Joe Biden in providing assistance. But he urged Congress to impose more sanctions "until the Russian war machine stops."

"All American companies should immediately leave the Russian market because it is flooded with our blood," he added.

Video with horrors in Ukraine for Congress

The outlet reports that in his address to the US Congress, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed a moving video where the peacetime footage of Ukraine is superimposed on the footage of the past three weeks.

"President Biden, you are the leader of your nation. I hope you become the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means being the leader of peace," he said.

Zelenskyy stressed that peace in a particular country no longer depends on its specific leader, but depends on those who are next to you and strong.

"Strong doesn't mean big. Strong is brave and ready to fight for the life of his citizens and citizens of the world," the President added.

Americans were reminded of Pearl Harbor and 9/11

Photo: Wikipedia

The Telegraph notes that Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared the horror of the Russian invasion with Pearl Harbor and the September 11 attacks and called the situation in Ukraine a terror that Europe has not seen for 80 years.

"Remember Pearl Harbor, the terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes that attacked you," he said, recalling the air raid on Japan, after which the United States declared war on it and officially entered World War Two.

Before that, the United States helped Great Britain to defend itself and agreed with the USSR on a lend-lease agreement that provided for the supply of weapons to the Eastern Front. Back in August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter that agreed on the fight against Nazism and fascism and laid the foundation for creating the UN. But it was Pearl Harbor that became a turning point in the war because after the US entered the war, Churchill, according to his memoirs, was convinced that Hitler had no chance—together with the Americans, the Allies would win.

Photo: Wikipedia

"Remember September 11, the terrible day of 2001, when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, into battlefields," Zelenskyy told Americans on March 16, 2022. "No one expected this, no one could prevent it. Our country feels the same every day. For three weeks already."

The Times, for its part, notes that Zelenskyy proposed to establish a new international organization U24—an association of responsible countries in order, if necessary, to stop the conflict around the world with military intervention.

US assistance for Ukraine: What it will be used for

Photo: Wikipedia

According to Reuters, US President Joe Biden has planned an additional $800 million in aid for Ukraine, but his position on the "no-fly zone" has not changed after Volodymyr Zelenskyy's appeal to Congress.

According to a White House spokesperson, Biden will respond to the remarks of the Ukrainian president. He also plans to provide details of the $13.6 billion in funding that will be allocated to Kyiv after Biden signed the corresponding bill.

In short, the new funding will provide additional humanitarian, security and economic assistance.

About a half of the package will be used to deploy troops in the region and send defense equipment to Ukraine.

Putin's search for peace under the guise of victory

Photo: Getty Images

The publication notes that Putin is expected to soon decide whether to continue the war or seek peace in a way that would allow him to "claim victory."

"There is a small chance of a peaceful resolution," one high-ranking Russian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. "Something will be decided in the next three days to a week."

A second senior Russian source said the bloodthirsty despot would consider a peaceful resolution on Russia's terms.

"Putin's looming decision will shape the course of European history and determine how long the former KGB spy remains as Russia's president," the outlet believes.

Putin said on March 11 there were some "positive shifts" in ongoing talks with Ukraine but gave no details.

Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that the talks "sound more realistic", and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was "some hope of reaching a compromise."

A Russian military source said there had been a change in orders in recent days.

"Everything is on pause," said the source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "There has been a clear change of tactics by our troops. The active advance has been halted."

Compromise from Russia: Giving up territories the size of Mississippi

Photo: @oksana_kuliesh/Instagram

From a Russian perspective, the contours of a compromise would have to include a significant loss of territory for Ukraine possibly totalling at least 120,000 square km — equivalent to the U.S. state of Mississippi.

This would include Crimea, the so-called pseudo-republics of the DPR and LPR and most likely swathes of other territory now held by Russian troops.

The outlet notes that it is not yet clear whether Kyiv is ready to give up some territories in exchange for peace (spoiler — not ready — Ed. note).

The United States has sounded more downbeat on the prospects for any swift end to the conflict and believe that Putin will continue to attack Ukraine.

"Putin is angry and frustrated right now," William Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency who served as a U.S. ambassador to Moscow said. "He's likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties."

Ban on foreign weapons is being imposed on Kyiv

The Guardian quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying:

"The negotiations are not easy for obvious reasons, but there is some hope for a compromise."

According to him, the neutral status of Ukraine is now being seriously discussed, of course, with security guarantees.

"There are absolutely specific wordings and, in my view, the sides are close to agreeing on them," the Russian assured.

At the same time, the Financial Times spread similar information exactly amid Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the US Congress, where he demanded more aircraft and to close all foreign trade for the Russian Federation.

In exchange for the withdrawal of Russian troops, Kyiv must abandon its ambitions to join NATO and pledge not to host foreign military bases or weapons in exchange for protection from allies such as the US, Britain, and Turkey.

Ukraine remains skeptical about Russia's terms, despite progress in negotiations. It was on Wednesday that Putin announced that the Kremlin would achieve the goals of its "special operation" under any conditions.

Senior Advisor to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak stressed that any agreement provides that the Russian troops will leave the territory of Ukraine, but so far this refers to those territories that have been captured since February 24, 2022. The issue of Crimea and Donbas remains thorny.

Instead of an afterword. It was on the day when Zelenskyy reminded the Americans of their national tragedies—Pearl Harbor and September 11, that Putin launched broadcastings and assured that he would still win the war. In parallel, Western outlets began to report about the terms that Ukraine must agree to for the sake of peace. The problem of these terms is non-working security guarantees from Western states, the requirement to forget about Crimea and Donbas, and, most likely, only a temporary truce and freezing of the conflict.

Another extremely risky clause is the term that Kyiv must give up foreign weapons, which we already have in any case to defend against the Kremlin invasion. That is, if such an agreement is signed, then this clause may become a reason for further escalation. Not taking into account the political risks personally of the team of the President of Ukraine over the demand to abandon (even temporarily) the idea of returning Crimea and Donbas, all the more so to give Russia what it seized on February 24.

But all these ideas are feeded amid Zelenskyy's address to the Americans and the call for a new union and the suppression of the Russian economy for a reason. Unconfirmed rumors have already reached the Ukrainian social networks and caused concern.

It should be clearly understood: this could be another attempt to "bend" Ukraine to the Kremlin’s terms and create an internal political crisis, although there were no official statements from Kyiv regarding the surrender of territories or the renunciation of allied weapons, quite the opposite. Consequently, Russia continues to harp its propaganda machine, intimidating the world and using all the leverage it has. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been fighting for its right to exist for 21 days.