Russia's latest mass attack on Ukraine shows Russian President Vladimir Putin's true response to attempts at appeasement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Nov. 17.
"Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure," Sybiha said. Ukrainian air defenses shot down around 140 of the 210 drones and missiles launched at the country, primarily targeting the energy grid.
"This is war criminal Putin’s true response to all those who called and visited him recently. We need peace through strength, not appeasement."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Nov. 15 held the first phone call with Putin in two years, during which he condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, urged Putin to withdraw his troops, and discussed potential talks with Kyiv.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over the Scholz-Putin call, saying that such lengthy conversations have been a tool Putin has exploited for over 20 years, now providing him hope for easing his international isolation.
The call came amid growing uncertainties about the stability of Western support and Ukraine's setbacks on the battlefield.
Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election adds to the uncertainties, with some fearing that Washington might withdraw its support and force Kyiv toward painful concessions. In turn, top Ukrainian officials voiced hope for a more resolute decision-making.
"Certainly, with the policies of this team that will now lead the White House, the war will end faster. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Dmytro Basmat
