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The eastern European display of solidarity shows Putin has few friends left

Nato and the EU have shown common purpose over Ukraine, but there are some weak links as Sean O’Grady writes

Wednesday 16 March 2022 13:22 GMT
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<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa</p>

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa

Russia has few firm friends left in the world.

On the motion at the United Nations General Assembly condemning the war in Ukraine, only Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria could bring themselves to back Russia and vote against the resolution. Even traditionally friendly states with little interest in human rights, such as China, Iran and Iraq, chose to abstain. More shamefully, some leading democratic nations including India and South Africa, presumably with an eye to some future strategic advantage, also sat on the diplomatic fence. But President Putin is essentially friendless, and all the more so since he began bombing civilians and using weapons such as cluster bombs.

By contrast, Ukraine has friends everywhere, though not always willing to answer its desperate calls for military assistance. Even as missiles are flying around, staunchly loyal leaders from other ex-communist states in Eastern Europe are flying into Kyiv: Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki , Pietr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Slovenia’s Janez Jansa Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal are all in town to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and his prime minister, Denys Shmyhal.

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