Zelenskyy arrives in Germany, urges air defense, F-16s, and long-range missiles for Ukraine

He wrote about it on Telegram.

“Working with partners for the strength of Ukraine. I have arrived at Ramstein Air Base to participate in a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. We need the determination of our partners and the means to stop Russian air terror. We need all the weapons from the already announced support packages to finally reach the combat brigades. And we need strong, long-range decisions from our partners to bring the just peace we seek closer,” the President emphasized.

Zelenskyy will participate in the group's meeting and meet with US and German Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Boris Pistorius. He will also hold separate talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

After the Ramshine meeting, Zelenskyy will travel to Italy to participate in the Ambrosetti International Economic Forum, as well as to meet with Italian business representatives and hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The President added that positions are being coordinated with all G7 allies.

Ramstein meeting begins

In his opening remarks before the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked all the ministers present for their support.

At the beginning of his speech, the president emphasized that it was especially important to feel the power of their agreements today in Pokrovsk and Toretsk, Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy noted that there were changes in the overall situation and stated that Putin had revealed his true interests. He pointed out that this should be evident to those who still believe that Putin is fighting to protect either people or his security interests.

According to the president, the most combat-ready units of the Russian army are involved in expanding the occupation zone on Ukrainian territory in the Donetsk region. Putin wants to occupy Ukraine more than to ensure security for Russia, he emphasized. 

“Russian attempts to draw red lines do not work,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

He noted that Ukraine is working with a large number of weapons from partners and is very grateful for every aid package. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces need more weapons to push Russian troops out of Ukrainian territories, especially from the Donetsk region.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of having each announced aid package quickly operational on the battlefield, without any delays. He stated that the fight in the Donetsk region depended on it and noted that if Putin had no achievements there, he would have no achievements anywhere or in anything.

He thanked the partners for the fact that the NATO summit in Washington was marked by serious decisions on air defense for Ukraine. Zelenskyy stated that the number of air defense systems that have not been delivered to Ukraine since the announcement of the transfer is significant. He called on partners to be more active in this work on air defense supplies. He reminded that the Ukrainian military has already started operating F-16 aircraft, which shoot down Russian missiles and drones very effectively. However, the president emphasized their limited number and Ukraine's need for a much stronger F-16 fleet. Zelenskyy said he had proposals that he would announce without the press.

Zelenskyy thanked the United States, Britain, and France for their cooperation and assistance in important operations, particularly in Crimea, which, according to the president, allowed for the return of security to the Black Sea and the resumption of Ukrainian food exports. 

The partners' policy on long-range strikes on targets in Russia has not changed, but Zelenskyy emphasized the lack of long-range ATACMS, Storm Shadow, and SCALP missiles even to defend the Ukrainian occupied territories, including Crimea. At the same time, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs these missiles not only to liberate the occupied territories, but also to strike targets in Russia to motivate it to sign a peace. 

The President also expressed Ukraine's readiness to produce more weapons together with its partners in order to strengthen the partners' defense forces after this war. This requires funding, Zelenskyy emphasized. 

The president summarized by urging that this fall should be the time when Russian aggression ends, in a manner that restores a reliable international security order.

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the goals of the Kursk operation had been achieved and announced productive meetings with partners, including on the supply of air defense systems.
• At a meeting with high-ranking officials in Washington, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov presented a list of targets in Russia that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could strike with American long-range weapons if they had the opportunity.