PM Shmyhal, EU leaders discuss provision of air defense systems to Ukraine

During a working meeting in Prague, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the leaders of the European Union discussed providing Ukraine with air defense systems.

The head of the Ukrainian government announced this via Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

Shmyhal stressed that Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot systems and modern combat aircraft as soon as possible.

"We expect to receive the first batch of F-16 aircraft this summer," he said.

The Prime Minister also stated that Ukraine is interested in creating joint ventures, transferring technology and financing its production capacities.

Read also: EU’s Borrell once again calls on EU countries to unblock military aid for Ukraine

Separately, he thanked the EU for creating the Ukraine Facility within the European Peace Facility. "Now we consider it necessary to establish as soon as possible the mechanism where our partners would buy weapons for the Ukrainian Army from Ukrainian manufacturers with further compensation from that Facility," Shmyhal noted.

The parties discussed, among other things, the inaugural Global Peace Summit, scheduled to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

Read also: Zelensky visits Melsbroek military base where Ukrainian pilots undergoing training on F-16s

The head of the government expressed confidence that the latest high-level negotiations "will yield really good results for Ukraine both on the battlefield and toward achieve a just peace."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on May 28, Shmyhal held a working meeting with a group of EU leaders in Prague, where they discussed the implementation of the artillery initiative, for which more than EUR 1.6 billion has already been raised.

Photo: Denys Shmyhal Telegram channel