Zelensky says new defense decisions being prepared for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that new defense decisions, which concern air defense systems, fighter jets and the Ukrainian army's advance on the ground, are being prepared.

He said this in a daily address on Thursday, June 1, according to Ukrinform.

Zelensky said that this morning, the Ukrainian delegation was in Moldova for the Summit of the European Political Community.

"This is the center of political discussions on our continent now. We had very important negotiations. The President of Moldova and the President of France, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the European Commission, the President of Romania and the Prime Minister of Portugal, the Prime Minister of Albania and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Spain, the President of Switzerland, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the President of Azerbaijan, the Chancellor of Germany," he said.

According to him, there was also an expanded format with representatives from the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, UK, Poland and Belgium. "And, of course, there were meetings on the sidelines of the Summit and a joint meeting of all the participants," he said.

"We are preparing new defense decisions for Ukraine, including air defense, aviation, and our advance on the ground. We are preparing real political content for the NATO Summit in Vilnius. We are preparing a package of security guarantees for our country on its way to the Alliance. We are doing everything to bring the EU's political decision on membership for Ukraine closer. We are preparing a Peace Summit based on the Ukrainian Peace Formula," Zelensky said.

He said this was "not only support for Ukraine, it is support for real security for the whole of Europe."

"I would like to thank Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, for supporting our initiatives to protect our children, to find and return those young Ukrainians who were deported to Russia. We have to return them all, we have to do everything possible and impossible to protect all our people – to the maximum extent possible – from any Russian threats. I am confident that this is possible," he said.

Zelensky also thanked European Council President Charles Michel who today held a special security session at the summit.

"I would also like to thank Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, for the decision on ammunition for Ukraine – for supporting the allocation of additional 500 million euros for this purpose," he said.