President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia no longer has any argument in favor of its war except ballistic missile strikes.
According to him, Vladimir Putin still intends to “defeat” residential buildings in order not to end the war.
Zelensky stressed that this threat can be countered through sufficient supplies of anti-ballistic systems and much faster work to create Europe’s own anti-ballistic capabilities.
The president noted that a NATO summit and other international formats will take place in the coming days, and air defense should become one of the key outcomes of these meetings.
“If, of course, NATO still means anything to the allies,” Zelensky said.
He emphasized that Europe must have sufficient capability of its own to defend itself against all types of threats, including Russian ballistic missiles.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine has long been discussing licenses for Patriot production with the U.S. administration.
The president thanked the countries helping Ukraine through the PURL program, which allows Kyiv to buy air defense missiles, including missiles for Patriot systems.
At the same time, Zelensky stressed that domestic production is needed to reliably protect lives. According to him, European production in Ukraine or together with partners would also support the United States in operations when needed.
“We very much count on a positive response from President Trump to protect lives,” Zelensky said.
The president also said he had spoken with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He thanked him for his condolences after the Russian attack and for his readiness to help Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized that defending against ballistic missiles is impossible without a sufficient number of appropriate missiles for Patriot systems. According to him, this is Ukraine’s biggest priority right now.
During the call, the two sides discussed which partners can help Ukraine strengthen its air defense and how exactly they can do so.
Zelensky also noted that Stubb praised the successes of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. According to the president, partners see how the situation is shifting in Ukraine’s favor and how effectively long-range sanctions are working.
Separately, Zelensky and Stubb discussed stepping up diplomacy and bilateral defense cooperation. The president said Ukraine is preparing to conclude important agreements with Finland in the near future.
