Zelensky: All Western decisions to help Ukraine are about year late
Western countries are extremely slow to make decisions on military assistance to Ukraine, which complicates the situation of the Armed Forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Reuters, Ukrinform reports.
The President described the provision of assistance, in particular, Patriot air defence systems, as "one big step forward, but before that, two steps back".
"Every decision we come to, and then all together, is about a year late," he stressed.
Zelensky also suggested ways in which the allies could help directly, including by shooting down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory under certain circumstances.
"The Russians use 300 aircraft on the territory of Ukraine. We need at least 120, 130 planes to confront them in the sky," Zelensky added, referring to US F-16 fighter jets, some of which he hopes will soon be used in combat.
"You can't provide that right now? Okay... going back to the aircraft that are in the territory of neighbouring NATO countries: get them in the air... shoot down targets, protect civilians. Can they do that? I'm sure they can. Is this an attack by NATO countries, interference? No," the President said.
He also said that Kyiv was negotiating with international partners to use the weapons they provided to strike at Russian military equipment on the border and further into Russian territory, but so far "there is nothing positive".
According to Zelensky, the situation on the battlefield in the northeast of the country, particularly in Kharkiv region, where Russian troops launched an offensive, is now under control.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the White House said that the United States does not encourage the use of American weapons provided to Kyiv to strike at Russian territory.
Instead, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Ukraine has the right to use weapons provided by his country to strike targets in Russia.
Photo: OP