President Zelenskyy: We need peace Putin can’t break

“Pyongyang disregards human life just as much as Moscow does, paying Russia with people in exchange for goods and military technologies,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an address to the JEF Summit Participants on Dec. 17.

Dear friends!

I’m glad to see you all and truly grateful for your steady support and attention to Ukraine.

First, I want to highlight the EU’s decision on new sanctions against Russia and your determination – especially from the Baltic and North Sea countries – to limit Russia’s shadow tanker fleet not just with sanctions, but in other ways too. This fleet is one of the biggest threats. Putin uses these tankers to finance his war, and most of these vessels are old, poorly maintained, and operate without any oversight. Just recently, near the Kerch Strait, two oil tankers sank. These ships were nearly 50 years old. They shouldn’t have been in operation at all, especially in this part of the waters and during this season. Right now, our sea is facing yet another environmental disaster caused by Russia. There are much larger and more dangerous Russian tankers operating in your seas. This fleet must be stopped. Doing so will not only cut off Russia’s war funding but will also protect nature. I urge you to take even stronger action to ensure that the shadow tanker fleet and other Russian vessels, including those transporting weapons, can no longer operate in European waters.

Second. You’ve probably all received reports about North Korean troops being involved in combat. Right now, Ukrainian soldiers are holding off assaults with North Korean soldiers taking part. Their numbers could grow, and we all need to be aware of this. This clearly shows that Putin can’t cope alone, so he’s pulling others into a bigger war.

Full text of the address: Office of the President of Ukraine