The President spoke at the NATO-Ukraine Council and called on the partners to provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons as soon as possible.
During a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, Zelenskyy voiced five priorities that he asked his partners to focus on:
- Ukraine needs at least seven more Patriot or similar air defense systems for defense – they can save many lives and make a real difference.
- One million artillery shells for Ukraine must finally be delivered to the front line.
- Long-range capability. “It is absurd when partners are afraid of their strength. The more long-range weapons our soldiers have in their hands, the closer the peace. We need long-range missiles and artillery on the front line,” the President emphasized.
- Aviation. “If we have a coalition of fighter jets, then we need a sufficient number of planes to really overcome the Russian air force. It’s not about the number of promises, but about the real number of planes in the sky,” Zelensky added.
- The fifth point is speed. “This year we cannot wait for decisions to be made. I ask you to consider our request for your determination – each of its elements – as soon as possible,” the head of state said, adding that “Putin must be brought down to earth, and our skies must become safe again.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO countries have committed to providing Ukraine with more air defense systems. He said this at a briefing following the NATO-Ukraine Council.
Stoltenberg did not name the exact number of air defense systems that could be provided to Ukraine, but assured that, in particular, Patriot is available for transfer.
“NATO has identified systems among the available capabilities that can be provided to Ukraine,” he said, adding that he expects NATO partners to announce deliveries soon.
He added that in addition to the US Patriot systems, “there are other types of weapons that the allies can provide, such as the [French] SAMP/T.”
“Many other countries that do not have affordable systems have promised to provide financial support to buy them for Ukraine,” said the NATO Secretary General.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended the meeting, said that in addition to air defense, Ukraine also needs artillery shells, long-range weapons, and aircraft. According to Stoltenberg, each NATO member can decide what to supply to Ukraine.
Also today, the Group of Seven (G7) countries announced that they would strengthen Ukraine’s air defense to save civilian lives and protect critical infrastructure.
On April 16, it became known that Kyiv was initiating a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening video address to Ukrainians.