After reacting to Iran's strike against Israel, Ukraine indicates displeasure over unequal treatment. Former EU Commission chief Juncker disagrees.
Berlin – The threat from Iran and the fear of a conflagration in the Middle East is keeping the world in suspense. Ukraine, which is fiercely defending itself against Russia's war of aggression, is also looking towards Israel. However, there is another concern: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj recently indirectly complained that there was less European unity on Ukraine aid than on Israel.
Former EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker rejects this criticism: “The word of the European Union and its member states counts,” he said in an interview with
IPPEN.MEDIA
. “We stand in solidarity with Ukraine in the long term – but at the same time everyone knows that we have to step up our efforts to stop Russian aggression.”
Ukraine looks at the Israel-Iran conflict: ex-Commission chief Juncker gives clear advice
After the first direct Iranian attack on Israel, which was largely repelled with international help, Zelensky called on his allies to show the same “unity” towards Ukraine as they did towards Israel. “By defending Israel, the free world has proven that such unity is not only possible, but also 100 percent effective,” Zelensky said on Telegram. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba added: “We see that not a single missile reaches its target when the allies pull together and act in a coordinated manner.”
Zelensky also emphasized that Ukraine, like Israel, is not a member of NATO. Juncker believes that the accusation that there are double standards when it comes to military support for the two countries is absurd. In the conversation, he advised that the armed conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine should be strictly separated from each other. “These are two different conflicts with different actors,” said the Christian Democrat. “Standing by Israel in its hour of need was good and right.”
Ukraine war in the background? Juncker warns
Iran attacked Israel directly from its territory for the first time on the night of last Sunday (April 14). According to Israeli data, almost all of the drones and missiles launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran were repelled. Israel was supported by allies such as the USA, Great Britain, France and Jordan.
Former EU Commission chief Juncker warned that the Ukraine war was being pushed into the background after recent events. “In view of the escalations in the Middle East, we should not forget what is happening in Ukraine,” he said. Juncker praised the efforts of Western countries. “Nevertheless, we must help Ukraine even more than has been the case so far. We in Europe must increase our solidarity.”