– We need the planes. This was the Ukrainian president’s short but firm answer to news’s question whether he thinks Ukraine will get the planes they have requested. French President Emmanuel Macron was not as clear when he arrived at the extraordinary EU summit on Thursday morning. When he was asked if he was willing to send fighter jets to Ukraine, he simply answered: – That is not the right way to formulate the question. – The important thing now is unity, clear support for Ukraine, and agreement to send equipment we can deliver now, quickly and efficiently, Macron said. IN FOCUS: Little doubt about who was the main character at the extraordinary EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. Here Zelenskyj is with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. Photo: JOHN THYS / AFP “Home” to Europe Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s European tour has been hectic, with logistical challenges and security concerns. For the president, the second trip abroad after the outbreak of war was nevertheless primarily a trip “home”. – This is our Europe, this is our way of life, and for Ukraine it is a way of coming home, said Zelenskyj in his speech in the EU Parliament. He was met with a standing ovation for his powerful appeal for a European future for Ukraine. APPLAUSE: Zelenskyj was greeted with a standing ovation after his speech in the EU Parliament. On the left, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP “Well” from the EU For Zelenskyj, record-breaking EU membership is a natural consequence of the war that is now underway. – We defend ourselves against the most anti-European force in the modern world. We Ukrainians are on the battlefield with you, he said. This is the struggle of all Europeans, a defense of the European way of life, as Zelenskyj sees it. Then you have to stand together even when the war is over. This is how the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also sees it. – Your nation’s future lies in the EU, she said, before handing an EU flag to the Ukrainian president. GOT A FLAG: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola presented an EU flag to the President of Ukraine. Photo: POOL / Reuters It is naturally a promise she cannot make on her own. Because even though Ukraine is already a candidate country, there is great disagreement among the member states about how realistic a rapid membership process really is. Fighter plane dilemmas Metsola went a long way in promising other matters that are controversial, when she assured of “support not only in words, but in actions”: She mentioned both money, support for training, weapons – and fighter planes. NOT RULED OUT: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would not rule out any form of arms support, including fighter jets, when he received Zelenskyj on Wednesday. Photo: ANDREW MATTHEWS / AFP While British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made it clear that no form of arms support can be ruled out when Zelenskyj was in London on Wednesday morning, the tone was not as open-minded in Paris the same evening. There, the President of Ukraine met the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany for a late dinner in the Elysée Palace. PARIS: German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Wednesday evening. Photo: SARAH MEYSSONNIER / AFP Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also formulated his concern quite clearly when he arrived at the summit in Brussels on Thursday: – We must be absolutely sure that we do not end up in a direct confrontation like between NATO and Russia, said Rutte, who explained the told the journalists present that these discussions had to take place behind closed doors anyway. Challenging wish list It does not mean that the fighter jet discussion is over, but there is little doubt that Zelensky’s wish list presents challenges for his European friends. For Zelenskyj, it is crucial to ensure continued support for Ukraine, both militarily and financially. WILL IN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that rapid EU membership is a natural consequence of the war the country has been subjected to. Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP It is also about underpinning support for further sanctions. Here, Zelenskyj has previously given small kicks to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been reluctant in several rounds of sanctions. For the EU leaders, Zelenskyi’s visit was also important to demonstrate unity and solidarity towards their own country’s voters. Although the Ukrainian president has addressed the people of Europe via video link in the past, there is something different about physical presence. At a time when the debate about arms support and the discussions surrounding the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine can become loud in many European countries, Zelensky’s European tour is an important symbolic act also for the Ukrainian president’s hosting.
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