Dorota Dakowska - Speech on France Culture (war in Ukraine)
Intervention by Dorota Dakowska on France Culture's 12:30 news programme on Monday 24 February (around 9min30).
Summary:
"The war in Ukraine remains the most central crisis with the most far-reaching consequences for the future of Europe", declared the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Kiev. She announced a further €3.5 billion in aid.
The war between Ukraine and Russia is entering its fourth year, as Monday marks the third anniversary of the offensive launched by Moscow, against a backdrop of uncertainty in Kiev regarding the crucial support of the United States. Many European leaders have travelled to Kiev to show their strong support for Ukraine. The granting of a further €3.5 billion in aid was confirmed. At the same time, EU foreign ministers voted on a new package of sanctions against Moscow.
The European Union also hopes that the new German government resulting from the parliamentary elections will be formed "as quickly as possible". The negotiations are beginning for the conservative Friedrich Merz, whose CDU/CSU camp won the parliamentary elections last night. Negotiations are likely to be complicated as the far-right AFD party has won an unprecedented 21% of the vote. Without a government for the time being, Friedrich Merz is nonetheless declaring his priority to be the reinforcement of European defence in order to gradually free himself from the United States.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine 3 years ago also triggered the biggest population displacement crisis since the Second World War. Almost a third of Ukraine's inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes. At the end of July, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) counted over six million Ukrainian refugees across Europe. Dorota Dakowska is the guest on the 12:30 news. She is a university professor and political science associate, and a member of the Exilest. Research project on Ukrainian exiles, particularly after the invasion of Ukraine.