The Ukrainian leader has complained about the dwindling support for Kiev from foreign arms donors
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. © Michael Kappeler / picture alliance via Getty Images
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has questioned Western arms donors for failing to provide enough air defense systems to meet Kiev’s needs.
Officials in Kiev have been complaining for months that Western nations are not giving Ukraine enough arms to successfully oppose Russia both on the battlefield and in defending critical locations from long-range strikes.
“Frankly speaking, I sometimes don’t understand this. Everyone knows that 10 to 12 additional Patriot systems will ensure life for us and make the war meaningless for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” he claimed on Tuesday.
The remarks came during a meeting with MEP Iratxe Garcia, the leader of the Socialist-Democratic faction in the European Parliament.
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Zelensky was referring to the US-made MIM-104 Patriot long-range missile system, which is one of the most advanced and costly military capabilities donated to Ukraine by its Western backers. According to public statements, Ukraine has received six full batteries, including three from the US and three from Germany, as well as some individual launchers from the Netherlands. The Russian military has reported successfully targeting Patriot systems on multiple occasions.
In April, Zelensky said Ukraine needed 25 Patriot batteries to defeat Russian missile barrages. Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga said he was petitioning sponsors to provide “at least 20” additional air defense systems, with Patriots being one of three requested options.
Russian officials have stated that no amount of Western military assistance can change the outcome of the Ukraine conflict, which Russia perceives as existential for the country.
Ukrainian forces have suffered a series of battlefield defeats in recent months, while the government is facing a significant cut in US aid once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in late January. Zelensky met the incoming American leader last week in Paris in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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Following the meeting, Zelensky said he will be asking outgoing US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO, since talking to Trump about the bid “makes no sense.” Moscow views the military bloc’s expansion as one of the key triggers of the conflict.