Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelenski, insisted today that his country needs tanks, since anti-aircraft systems are not enough to defend itself against Russia, in a virtual intervention before the Contact Group for Ukraine focused on kyiv’s demand for Leopard armored vehicles.
“We greatly appreciate all the support received so far and their anti-aircraft defense systems, but we need artillery and tanks,” said the Ukrainian leader, at the opening of the meeting held by that group at the US base in Ramstein, Germany.
Each supplied weapon counts to protect Ukraine against the terror of the Russian army, “but time is a very decisive factor here,” he stressed.
“We have to act quickly, time must be on our side, it must be one of our weapons, just like armored fighting vehicles and air defense systems,” he said.
This war started by Russia “does not allow delays” and “I can thank you a hundred times”, but “it only helps if we really receive support quickly and act quickly”, he insisted.
He warned that for Russia it is not just about Ukraine, but that it “wants more”: it wants to destroy the values of freedom and human rights, and Ukraine fights on its territory for peace and to maintain this system of values, assured.
He stated that today it is possible to start doing more in the Ramstein format to strengthen Ukraine, adding that it is not just a question of tanks, for example, “but of principles, of general support for Ukraine in the struggle for peace and freedom”.
He added that the next meeting should be used to talk, for example, about F-16 fighters or long-range missiles.
“You have the power to put these means in our hands to defend us and also defend you and peace and freedom in general,” he said.
However, in Ramstein, after the contact group meeting, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted that no agreement had been reached on the Leopards, but reaffirmed the determination of the Western allies to support to Ukraine, mainly with anti-aircraft defense systems.
Zelensky’s intervention followed the first message from the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, who urged the 20 allies gathered in the Contact Group to “contribute more” and recalled the content of the new aid package approved yesterday by his country, which brings the total to more than 26,000 million dollars (about 24,000 million euros). .
For its part, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that “there are three Ukrainian priorities in Ramstein, the first of which is “more air defense systems,” according to the Ukrinform agency.
Second, the ministry cited the contribution by its international partners of “weapons for offensive operations (tanks, howitzers, ammunition).”
Finally, he indicated that it is a priority to have a “systematic supply of ammunition” and stressed the importance of guaranteeing the “maintenance and repair of weapons and equipment