Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated today, in front of members of NATO, that the alliance must "prove to Kyiv that it is its ally in the war against Russia by accelerating the pace of arms and ammunition deliveries." His speech was delivered via video ahead of a significant vote in the U.S. Congress on a $61 billion aid package that Kyiv has been awaiting for months.
Zelensky said, "We need to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to reality, and our skies must be safe, which depends on your choices—choices that relate to determining whether we are truly allies." He added, "This year, we can no longer afford to wait for decisions to be made. I ask you to consider our requests as soon as possible," emphasizing that "the upcoming congressional vote on Saturday is vital for Kyiv."
He called for "seven additional Patriot air defense systems," criticizing the slow delivery of shells. He continued, "It is certain that as long as Russia has air superiority and can rely on the terror spread by drones and missiles, our ground capabilities are unfortunately limited." He clarified that "Ukraine has been targeted by about 1,200 Russian missiles and over 1,500 Shahed explosive drones since the beginning of the year."
