Donald Tusk Photo:Getty Images
The latest Russian air strike on Ukraine, which was one of the largest in recent months, demonstrated the ineffectiveness of attempts to stop the aggression through telephone conversations. This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s call to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“No one will stop Putin with phone calls,” Tusk wrote on social network X.
Criticism of telephone diplomacy
The Polish prime minister criticised the approach, which, in his opinion, does not correspond to the scale of the threat posed by Russian aggression.
“Last night’s (Russian) attack, one of the worst in this war, demonstrated that telephone diplomacy cannot replace genuine support for Ukraine from the whole of the West,” Tusk said.
On the night of Saturday to Sunday, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, firing more than 200 missiles and drones. The attack killed at least nine people and injured 20 others.
Germany’s position and Kyiv’s outrage
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had a telephone conversation with Putin, was criticised by Ukraine and the international community. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the call “the opening of Pandora’s box” that could undermine efforts to isolate the Russian president.
At the same time, Scholz defended his decision, stressing Germany’s unwavering support for Ukraine. He assured that no decision on the outcome of the war would be made without Kyiv.
Telephone diplomacy is becoming increasingly controversial amid the failure to deter Russian aggression. Donald Tusk called on the West to focus on real support for Ukraine, including increased military aid and tougher sanctions against Russia.
The scale of the latest attack targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure underscores the need for more decisive action to protect Ukraine’s statehood and citizens.
