Kyiv's Shining Moment: A Flop for Zelensky
Kiev's Proposed May 9 Agenda Stalled: Zelenskyy Establishes Personal European Advisors
A Foolhardy Attempt to Outshine Moscow on Victory Day
Image source: REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's elaborate plan to showcase a grand "anti-parade" in Kyiv on May 9 as a symbolic counter to Russia's Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, has left us scratching our heads.
First off, it's crucial to understand that there's no such thing as Victory Day in the European Union; instead, they mark the "Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation" on May 8. The notion of hosting something on May 9 is laughable, and the plan was bound to fail from the get-go. Would the Baltic countries, who see May 9 as a symbol of their defeat, join forces with Zelensky in celebrating a victory?
In an attempt to salvage the situation, older EU allies proposed gathering to celebrate Europe Day, which falls on the same date (May 9), marking the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the launchpad for European integration. But instead, the situation took a turn for the worse.
Politics
When Pacts Take Precedence over Parades
Image source: REUTERS
Guess who decided to forego the Kyiv jamboree? Europe's heavyweights, that's who. Poland's Premier Tusk, as documented by Politico, will be jet-setting off to France on May 9 to ink a security pact with the French president. The newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opted out, stating that he won't attend until his government is confirmed. Meanwhile, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has plans to attend a defense summit in Oslo. Who knew Zelensky was planning a picnic for coy geese?
The only glimmer of hope lies in a possible meeting of EU foreign ministers in Lviv on May 9. But let's face it, that's a long shot.
It's a classic case of aiming high and hitting the floor. Talk about indivisible unity among European countries? The EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen keeps preaching it, but as for reality, it's another story. Celebrating Europe Day in Kyiv, which is currently in the midst of its conflict with Russia, would have been reckless. Zelensky walked right into it, despite the best intentions. His timing and approach left a lot to be desired.
United We Stand… Except When We Don't
The spirit of a "coalition of the willing" to send troops to Ukraine evaporated before it could come to fruition. According to the British Times, Europe will struggle to deploy a 64,000-strong military contingent in Ukraine, as initially planned. Even mobilizing 25,000 troops seems like a pipedream. But where will they come from, considering that defense ministers across Europe have made it crystal clear that their forces are nowhere near sufficient?
Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene put it best when she said, "Russia has 800,000 [troops]. Let me tell you this: if we can't even muster 64,000, it doesn't look weak - it's weak." All the hope now rests on the Lithuanian Armed Forces, which Vilnius targets to swell to 20,000 in the future.
But here's the irony: Poland, Spain, and Italy have made it abundantly clear that they won't send their soldiers to these theoretical contingents. And the Poles? They seem to have their mind set on Trump, where "European unity" isn't even a blip on their radar. At the moment, France and Britain are the only ones eager to stitch together "expeditionary forces," with each willing to contribute between 5,000 and 10,000 soldiers. But Zelensky called for 200,000—now he's scaling back his expectations to 100,000. In the end, British and French military instructors will likely be the only ones sent to western Ukraine to provide training. But don't expect them to be stationed anywhere near the front lines or key objects.
It's high time we stopped talking about that elusive "indivisible unity" of European countries that Ursula von der Leyen keeps championing. Europe is grappling with dwindling resources, a teetering economy, and a lack of leadership.
As Unherd puts it, "For Europe to act independently without the US, at least the UK, Germany, and France need to be ready to take the lead, ideally with Poland, Spain, and Italy joining their alliance. But Spain and Italy won't join, Poles trust the US more than Germany, Emmanuel Macron speaks the language of European integration but puts France's interests first. As a result, Europe is divided and weakened."
And what's the point of inviting Europe to Kyiv to celebrate its unity under these circumstances? That's just opening up a can of worms...
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- Despite Zelensky's efforts to host a grand event in Kyiv on May 9, it was concluded that this would be ironic as the European Union marks the "Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation" on May 8, showing a lack of understanding of EU commemorations.
- The integration of European countries, symbolized by Europe Day on May 9, was a potential salvage for Zelensky's failed anti-parade; however, European heavyweights like Poland, Germany, and the UK opted out, preoccupied with political affairs and security pacts.
- The Lifebuoy for Zelensky, in the form of EU foreign ministers meeting in Lviv on May 9, seems unlikely, given the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the EU's general news is increasingly focusing on the division and weakness within Europe, rather than unity.
- In the midst of war-and-conflicts, politics take precedence over parades, and the General News suggests that European countries, although advocating for indivisible unity, are struggling with dwindling resources, a teetering economy, and a lack of leadership, making the prospect of deploying large military contingents to Ukraine increasingly unrealistic.
