Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, April 19, that NATO must choose whether it is really Ukraine's ally, by accelerating weapons supplies to help his struggling forces.
"Our sky must become safe again," Zelensky said during a video conference with NATO defense ministers. "It depends fully on your choice. Choice whether life is indeed equally valuable everywhere. Choice whether you have an equal attitude to all partners. Choice whether we indeed are allies," he said.
Casting a bleak picture of his forces' ability to hold off Russian attacks on the ground and from the air, Zelensky said Ukraine could not defend itself without Western support. "It is obvious that now, while Russia has air advantage and can rely on its drone and rocket terror, our capabilities on the ground, unfortunately, are limited," he said.
Zelensky called a vote on Saturday in the US House of Representatives on whether to unlock a long-delayed $61 billion military aid package a "vitally important decision." The aid has been delayed since last year amid political infighting in the Republican Party.
Speaking after another week of Russian aerial barrages that killed and injured dozens across the country, the Ukrainian leader said Kyiv needed more air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities and save lives. "To defend, we need seven more 'Patriots' or similar air defense systems – and it's a minimum number. They can save many lives and really change the situation" Zelensky told a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.
He also stressed the urgency of getting hold of the much-needed arms. "This year we can't wait for decisions to be made," he said.
NATO countries have agreed to give Ukraine more air defenses to shoot down Russian attacks, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.
"NATO defense ministers have agreed to step up and provide further military support, including more air defense," Stoltenberg said after virtual talks with President Zelensky. "NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the alliance and there are systems that can be made available to Ukraine," he said. "So I expect new announcements on air defense capabilities for Ukraine soon."
Stoltenberg said there were Patriot and also Franco-Italian SAMP/T systems available in stocks of NATO countries that could be given to Ukraine. But he could not say whether NATO defense ministers had made concrete commitments during the meeting. Germany earlier this week announced it was giving Ukraine an additional Patriot system, on top of two already supplied.
On the subject of the US aid package, Stoltenberg said: "I count on the bill to pass without further delay."
Stoltenberg said that ministers also discussed Kyiv's "many other pressing needs," including artillery shells, longer-range missiles and drones. "Each NATO ally will decide what to provide. Several allies made concrete commitments during the meeting and are finalizing contributions that I expect will be announced soon," he said.