Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – Europa Press/Contact/President Of Ukraine
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It contemplates the presence of French soldiers in Ukraine for training or repair of Western war material
April 7 () –
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his Government's willingness to assume credit for the immediate purchase of weapons instead of waiting for donations from the United States and its allies.
If the United States offers them military aid “on credit today” or “free in a year,” kyiv would opt for the first option. “There is no choice here. The sooner the better,” she argued in an interview with the television program We Are Ukraine.
Zelensky has stressed that US military aid is of “crucial importance”, but has warned that Ukraine “is hostage to the situation.” “Unfortunately, the issue of Russia's war against Ukraine has become a political issue in the United States, even though what is at stake is the security of the entire world,” he said.
Specifically, Zelensky has raised the need to have 25 Patriot air defense systems “to completely close Ukraine” and thus protect the country's electrical grid from Russian attacks.
Furthermore, Zelensky has expressed his support for the proposal for French military intervention raised by President Emmanuel Macron and has highlighted that it could be especially useful in areas such as military training and the repair of Western weapons that are out of use.
However, Zelensky has ruled out asking for direct intervention by foreign armies because Russia would take advantage and “do everything possible to prevent military aid from other states.”
The Ukrainian leader has also recognized that the Armed Forces do not have ammunition to launch a counteroffensive and has also called on the Ukrainian Rada or Parliament to approve a new mobilization law as soon as possible, “in the coming days”, to increase the number of recruits.
Zelensky has thus criticized the “irresponsible” processing of the new mobilization law of more than four months, since this delay causes doubts among Ukraine's Western allies and arms deliveries.
“If you don't want mobilization, if Parliament doesn't want to vote, why do you need help? Tell us why we should help you,” Zelensky argued. “I speak every day with world leaders online and in person and explain to them that mobilization is on the way,” he stressed.
DEFENSE OF KHARKOW
Already in his daily afternoon speech on Sunday, Zelensky referred to the Russian drone attack on Saturday against the city of Kharkiv, in which six people died, and highlighted the need to install new anti-aircraft defenses.
“The situation in the city is very difficult. Russian terror is constant, now with aerial bombardments virtually daily. We are looking for opportunities to give Kharkiv a better anti-aircraft defense,” he explained.
For this there are both military and diplomatic efforts. “Everyone who has responsibilities in international communication” works on it because “it is quite evident that the air defense capacity available to Ukraine is not sufficient and this is also evident for all our partners.”
The plot is “the pain that Russian terrorists inflict in Kharkiv, in Kupiansk, in cities of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumi regions and in many other Ukrainian communities.”
The goal is to ensure that Ukraine's allies have “the political will” to transfer these defensive systems “that already exist.” “The Patrior should be deployed now in Ukraine so that later they do not have to be used at least on NATO's eastern front,” she argued.
