by Tom Balmforth and Yuliia Dysa
KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot air defense systems or other high-end systems to counter Russian strikes, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky told members of the Atlantic Alliance on Friday ( NATO), urging them to increase their military aid.
During an emotional video speech broadcast to the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Ukrainian leader judged that the current level of foreign aid was “very limited” and highlighted the support provided to Israel during the massive air attack carried out by Iran on Saturday.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin must be brought back to earth and our skies must become safe again. And that depends entirely on your choice (…), [le] choice to know if we are indeed allies”, affirmed Volodimir Zelensky in his speech.
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In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its bombing of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities, increasing pressure on Kyiv as Moscow’s larger and better-equipped forces slowly advance in the country’s east.
This year alone, Volodimir Zelensky said, Ukraine was attacked by nearly 1,200 Russian missiles, more than 1,500 drones and 8,500 guided bombs, in a context of a slowdown in Western military aid.
“We say it directly: to defend ourselves, we need seven more Patriot or similar air defense systems, and this is a minimum number. They can save many lives and really change the situation.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced after the meeting between the alliance’s defense ministers and the Ukrainian leader that the allies had decided to provide Kyiv with additional air defense systems.
“In addition to the Patriot, allies can provide other weapons, including (the French system) SAMP/T, and many other countries, which do not have systems available, have committed to providing financial support to purchase them for Ukraine,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
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Ukrainian troops immediately need long-range missiles and artillery shells, added Volodimir Zelensky in his speech delivered behind closed doors to the NATO-Ukraine Council but later broadcast by his office.
“This year we can’t wait for decisions to be made,” he said.
US military aid has been delayed for months in Congress, but the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill on Saturday that would release tens of billions of dollars in military aid.
“We are still waiting for new aid programs from the United States. American support has been called into question for too long,” lamented the head of state.
(Reporting Tom Balmforth and Yuliia Dysa; French version Kate Entringer, editing by Zhifan Liu)
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