Zelenskyy: We are forming anti-ballistic coalition in Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported a meeting of national security advisers from 13 European countries and a representative of the NATO Secretary General's Office, which discussed the production of anti-ballistic weapons, and announced the creation of an anti-ballistic coalition.
"I would like to thank our European partners today: there was a meeting at the level of national security advisers. We are gradually advancing the issue of producing anti-ballistic defense systems in Europe – we are forming an anti-ballistic coalition. This is worth doing, and now we are closer to a result than ever before. Thirteen countries and the NATO Secretary General's Office were represented at today's meeting on anti-ballistic defense. This is an important, very important initiative," Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Tuesday.
He said Ukraine's positions at the front, the effectiveness of long-range weapons and the results of cooperation with partner countries are now the best they have been in all the years.
"We must maintain this level and achieve results. This is exactly what we are doing. Every challenge we face in this process, everything we go through, must end with one thing: all of us, one way or another, helping Ukraine, making our defense stronger and making our common Ukrainian foreign policy positions more advantageous. There are no victories of one person alone, and there is no resilience of anyone separately. We must reach the main goal, and this is our common goal, which we do not give up: we do not give up our land, our sovereignty," the head of state stressed.
At the same time, Zelenskyy reported the need to strengthen the protection of Kherson from shelling, which he discussed with Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatoliy Kryvonozhko.
"Together with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, we spoke with the Air Force commander about the situation in some of our cities and communities near the front, about the shelling that is almost constant there. The situation in Kherson is especially difficult: the Russians have effectively organized a safari against people there. Protection must be significantly strengthened: more interceptors, more electronic warfare systems, more of our crews are needed specifically there, in the city," he said.
The president also reported work on evacuating the population from the occupied districts of Kherson region.
"We are partially managing to respond to the challenges on the occupied territory of Kherson region, in Oleshky and in the region's villages. The situation in this part of the occupied territory is very difficult, and evacuating people is extremely hard. It is important that international organizations, everyone who can help with this, be involved and active. We discussed the details of this process," Zelenskyy said.
