Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the keys to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, so as to prevent it from happening again, are European unity, putting pressure on Russia and strengthening Ukraine.
“Russia will resort to diplomacy only when it sees that it cannot achieve anything by force. We must create the right conditions to end this war,” Zelenskyy said while visiting Brussels to address European Union leaders and meet with NATO defense ministers.
The meetings are an opportunity for Zelenskyy to present his “victory plan” to Western allies.
In a speech to Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday, Zelenskyy outlined his vision for ending Russia’s 32-month invasion, including a call for an unconditional invitation to join NATO and the deployment of a non-nuclear deterrent against Russian aggression.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Wednesday that Ukraine’s eventual membership in NATO is “irreversible” when the time is right, but since kyiv cannot join while at war, he declined to set a timetable for the membership.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and reestablish the country’s territorial lines before Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014, a proposal Moscow rejected.
Last fights
Ukraine’s military said Thursday it shot down 22 of 56 drones that Russian forces used in nighttime strikes against areas of central and western Ukraine.
The interceptions took place in the regions of Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Ternopil, Sumy and Zhytomyr, the Ukrainian air force said.
Serhii Popko, head of the kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram that the attack damaged an apartment building.
In Mykolaiv, Governor Vitalii Kim said Russia targeted energy infrastructure.
Authorities in Sumy also said the Russian attack damaged an apartment building and several emergency vehicles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that it destroyed six Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region, four drones over Kursk and three drones over Bryansk. Officials in those regions reported no damage or casualties.
American aid
US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday about defense aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
Biden also announced a $425 million security assistance package for Ukraine that includes additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles and critical munitions to address its urgent military needs.
The United States is set to supply Ukraine with more equipment in the coming months, including hundreds of air defense interceptors, dozens of tactical air defense systems, additional artillery systems, hundreds of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. .
Biden is scheduled to host a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group next month to coordinate international assistance to Ukraine.
[Con información de The Associated Press, AFP y Reuters]
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