History to condemn Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Europe, as it did in World War II, once again has to think about the price to be paid for peace on the continent.
Zelenskyy said Europe has to think about the price to be paid by Russia “for bringing the evil of total war to Europe.”
In his nightly radio address, Zelenskyy said history will hold Russia responsible.
“And we, Ukrainians, will continue to work toward our defence, our victory and on restoring justice. Today, tomorrow and any other day that is necessary to free Ukraine from the occupiers,” he said.
Zelenskyy ended his radio address by thanking all those defending the country and promising the Ukrainian flag will one day once again fly over all of its cities.
“The Ukrainian flag will return. Because this is our country. A free European country,” Zelenskyy said.
— Washington sought to portray a united front against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan measure to reboot the World War II-era “lend-lease” program that helped defeat Nazi Germany to bolster Kyiv and European allies.
The new legislation is largely symbolic, but comes as Congress is poised to unleash more resources of $33 billion or more to fight the war. It all serves as a rejoinder to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has seized on V-E day, the anniversary of Germany’s unconditional surrender and Russia’s biggest patriotic holiday, to rally his people behind the invasion.
Before signing the bill, Biden said that “Putin’s war” was “once more bringing wanton destruction of Europe,” drawing reference to the significance of the day.
Flanked by two Democratic lawmakers and one Republican, Biden signed the bill, which had sailed through the Senate last month with unanimous agreement, not even the need for a formal roll call vote.
“It really matters,” Biden said of the bipartisan support for Ukraine. “It matters.”
Despite their differences over Biden’s approach and perceived missteps in confronting Russia, when it comes to Ukraine the members of the House and Senate have held together in a rare bipartisan fashion. Other measures, including calls to investigate Putin for war crimes, have also gained widespread support.
— Lithuania’s top diplomat said Monday that removing Putin from power is the only way to protect the West and its allies from future threats from Moscow, urging an even tougher stance than the U.S. and many NATO allies have been willing to pursue since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In an interview with The Associated Press in Washington, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Putin’s annual Victory Day speech was “underwhelming” and that the “gloomy faces” of generals and others were signs of failing in the Ukraine war. Yet, he said a wounded Putin may be even more dangerous and that the only way to remove the threat is to remove him.
“From our standpoint, up until the point the current regime is not in power, the countries surrounding it will be, to some extent, in danger. Not just Putin but the whole regime because, you know, one might change Putin and might change his inner circle but another Putin might rise into his place,” Landsbergis said.
Landsbergis calls for regime change go beyond what most NATO allies have been willing to express publicly.