Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged NATO to deliver weapons to Ukraine as quickly as possible, stating that "we can no longer wait" in the face of Russian pressures. NATO announced an agreement regarding air defense systems just before a critical vote in the United States.
The Ukrainian president spoke via video to the NATO alliance on the eve of a crucial congressional vote on $61 billion in aid, long anticipated by Kyiv, which is lacking in supplies and equipment against the Russians, who have superior forces on the front lines and are intensifying their strikes.
Zelensky stated, "This year, we can no longer wait for decisions to be made. I ask you to consider our demands as soon as possible." He added, "President Vladimir Putin must be brought back to reality, and our skies must be made safe... this depends on your choice, a choice related to determining whether we are truly allies."
He specifically requested seven additional Patriot missile defense systems, two days after a Russian strike killed 18 people in Chernihiv (north) on Wednesday. He continued, "It is certain that as long as Russia has air superiority and can rely on the terror it spreads with drones and missiles, our capabilities on the ground are unfortunately limited."
At the conclusion of the NATO defense ministers' meeting with Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced an agreement to deliver more air defense systems to Kyiv, without specifying a deadline.
