Yesterday at 23:47
“All the air defense provided to Ukraine, in particular by European countries, keeps our cities and villages alive. But the existing air defense systems are not enough to protect our entire territory from Russian terror. And it’s not a matter of hundreds of systems, but of an achievable number – to protect all the territory of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told European colleagues.
Ukrainian President urged the EU to make it possible that Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipro, Odesa, Kherson and other cities were protected as well as the sky above the frontline. He also expressed his confidence that if Putin were to lose the battle for the Ukrainian sky, he would lose the land as well.
Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Admiral Robert Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, and discussed additional supplies of air defense systems for Ukraine as well.
“Everything we build to protect Ukraine will also work to protect our entire Europe,” said Zelenskyy as he talked about drone production in Ukraine, potential of which is, in his opinion, sufficient, but needs sufficient funding at the same time.
He added that Europe needed real defense self-sufficiency which is to be achieved by increasing the production of weapons and ammunition.
“Ukraine demonstrates that it can be done quite quickly. Please do not waste the time needed to activate defense production. The technological side of warfare is being updated, and we need to keep up with these changes for the security of each and every European country,” Zelenskyy stressed.
“Our grain is important for the southern part of the EU, namely for the agricultural sector in Spain and Italy. Our sugar is needed for the Romanian market. Similar facts can be noted for other categories of goods. Over the past year, we have done and are now doing everything to restore the normal volume of our food exports from the ports of Odesa, as well as through the Danube region and Romanian ports. Ukraine has once again become a donor of food security for our traditional export destinations – North Africa and Asia,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy listed the key moment of the EU-Ukraine economical relations as he explained why the continuation of the trade liberalization regime with the EU is important and helps withstand Russian aggression.
He also accused Russia of “attempts of trade separatism within Europe’ and said it would be not fair to maintain Russian access to the European agricultural market while Ukrainian grain was thrown on the roads.
“This is only fair when both the profits from Russian assets and the assets themselves will serve to rebuild Ukraine after the hostilities, support Ukraine, and, in part, purchase weapons to stop the terror. Russia must feel the real cost of war and the need for a just peace,” Zelenskyy turned to the issue of frozen Russian assets at the end of the speech as the EU is currently deciding on this matter after Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy had presented his plan on profits from the assets.
Read also: Scholz supports idea to use profits from Russian assets to fund arms for Ukraine
