Zelenskyy: We won't fight for decades, but EU should financially support Ukraine for two to three years
Ukraine will not fight for decades, but the EU must provide stable financial support to Ukraine for some time; European leaders plan to do this for two to three years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"Now, when someone says that Ukraine is prepared to fight for several more years, I emphasized this once again to all European leaders. I told them: we won't fight for decades, but you must demonstrate that you can provide stable financial support to Ukraine for some time. And that's why they have this program in mind: two to three years. Let's emphasize that we will provide stable financial support to Ukraine for two to three years," Zelenskyy said during a meeting with journalists.
According to the president, the war could end sooner, but funds are needed for reconstruction. Furthermore, soldiers need to know they have a salary.
"Since we don't yet know whether Putin will return with aggression or not after this war ends. And so it's important to understand what kind of stable support Ukraine will receive from its partners," he added.
The head of state noted that this support could be financed from frozen Russian assets, which Ukraine would spend on weapons or reconstruction.
"If the war ends in a month, we'll spend this money on reconstruction. If it ends not in a month, but some time later, then we'll spend it on weapons. We simply have no other choice," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Furthermore, it's important that the EU be pressed to implement the practical use of these assets. According to the president, "they are very close."
"They've figured out how to transfer them this way, and then how they can return them, and return them with reparations from the 'Russians,'" he said.
On October 26, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reportedly recounted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's words, claiming that Ukraine was prepared to continue the war with Russia for another two or three years.
Tusk stated this in an interview with the British Sunday Times.
"I have no doubt that Ukraine will survive as an independent state. The main question now is how many casualties there will be. President Zelenskyy told me [on Thursday] that he hopes the war won't last ten years, but Ukraine is prepared to fight for another two or three years," Tusk said.