Zelenskyy addresses Ramstein participants, outlines 3 priorities in weapons supply for Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in a Ramstein meeting today. He specifically mentioned the weapons Ukraine needs, according to his speech published by the Pentagon.
Three priorities for weaponry
"Dear friends, please do not forget what you are deciding. This is not just about the arms supply - you are deciding the fate of the world that will either live by rules that we all recognize or depend only on the mercy of those whose violence is brutal. At what point is the war now? After two years of Ramstein, the answer is clear," said Zelenskyy.
LIVE: @SecDef Lloyd J. Austin III gives the opening remarks before the virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. https://t.co/AglJk86RDD
— Department of Defense (@DeptofDefense) April 26, 2024
He emphasizes that in six months without American assistance, the Russian army managed to seize the initiative on the battlefield. But now Ukrainian defenders are not only capable of stabilizing the front but also conducting the de-occupation of territories.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine now needs supplies of:
- long-range weapons to leave no safe area of Ukrainian territory for the occupier;
- air defense systems, particularly a minimum of 7 Patriots to shoot down Russian fighter planes and prevent them from reaching Ukrainian borders;
- artillery to disrupt the counteroffensive planned by Vladimir Putin and stop enemy attacks, as well as to conduct active operations.
Weapon production
The president also called on Western allies to "pay maximum attention to the production of weapons - both in your countries and... in Ukraine."
"Now in Ukraine, we have the potential for the production of drones in particular, which significantly exceeds our financial capabilities. Same with the electronic warfare systems likewise in many areas in your countries. We need to fill our defense capacities with real orders," said the president.
He added that new brigades are being formed in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which need weapons because "even best soldiers cannot change the war without a sufficient number of weapons."
New Ramstein
Today, April 26, the 21st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein Group) is taking place. It involves defense ministers from Western states. The key topic is military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that the meeting would focus on issues arising from delays in supplies from the United States.
