Ukraine, Podolyak: ‘Excessive bureaucracy in Europe slows down aid to Kiev’

Milan, 27 Jan. (LaPresse) – “The Americans, as mediators, are interested in ending the active phase of the war and are seeking a solution. But they are ready to listen, and if Ukraine presents well-argued positions with clear evidence, they may change their position. Europe, on the other hand, needs to be more proactive: disunity, lengthy discussions, reluctance to take responsible decisions, slowness in increasing sanctions and in new military investments.” This was stated in an interview with Repubblica by Mikhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Regarding Zelensky’s statements, Podolyak explains that “it is not ingratitude, it is telling close friends that they need to move faster and take their place in the world, which has changed today. We greatly appreciate and are grateful for what Europe is doing”. “Ukraine sees how Europe is changing, how it has become more active and more political, and our European colleagues play a significant role for Kiev. But the world is changing and Europe must be faster, more active, more autonomous. It must take on greater responsibility,” he emphasises. “Its problem has always been the excessive length of discussions and a large bureaucracy. In the modern world, it is beginning to lose ground”.