Zelenskyy has called on NATO to step up its support for air defence and speed up the delivery of Patriot systems
During the Ukraine–NATO Council meeting in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the representatives of the Alliance countries for attending the meeting and for their support of Ukraine.
He said that the presence of NATO ambassadors in Kyiv sent a clear signal of the unity of Europe, the United States and Canada in their support for Ukraine and their determination to force Russia to cease its aggression.
Zelenskyy emphasised that air defence was one of the main topics of the meeting. He announced that six countries had decided to contribute to the PURL programme.
The President noted that 23 people, including children, were killed as a result of a single massive Russian attack the previous day. He said that Russian forces had deployed over 650 drones during the night and a further 100 or so during the day.
At the same time, Zelenskyy identified missiles as the greatest threat to Ukraine. He said that Russia is capable of producing around 120 ballistic missiles per month, as well as other types of missiles, enabling it to carry out large-scale attacks on a regular basis.
The President stated that in May, Russia achieved almost no significant results on the battlefield, and its losses amount to between 30,000 and 35,000 troops per month. According to the data he cited, around 63% of these losses are fatalities, with a further 37% seriously wounded.
Separately, Zelenskyy highlighted the results of Ukrainian medium- and long-range strikes. He said that Russia is facing a fuel shortage in the temporarily occupied territories and parts of the country’s central regions, as well as serious logistical disruptions.
The President thanked partners who are helping Ukraine obtain Patriot interceptor missiles through the PURL programme, but stressed that the current volumes and pace of deliveries are insufficient.
He said that Ukraine needs more Patriot missiles and for them to be delivered more quickly. Zelenskyy also stated that he had raised this issue with the President of the United States and members of the US Congress.
Furthermore, the Head of State emphasised the importance of developing joint arms production and stated that Ukraine continues to discuss with the United States the issue of granting licences for the production of Patriot systems.
He stressed that current Patriot production capacity is insufficient to respond to existing and potential threats worldwide, and that Ukraine has already demonstrated its ability to produce modern weapons systems rapidly and on a large scale.
Zelenskyy also expressed hope that upcoming G7 meetings and the NATO summit in Ankara would help bring the war to an end.
The President stressed the importance of increasing NATO countries’ defence spending to 5% of GDP, developing the SAFE and Drone Deals programmes, and maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia.
In his view, all these measures should create sufficient pressure to force Russia to end the war.
