The key to Ukraine’s defense against Russia now is the number of tanks to be delivered and the speed with which they will be delivered, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. At the same time, Zelenskyi told what he dreams about after the USA and Germany promised heavy tanks.
In his late-night video speech, Zelensky also said he had spoken with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and asked for the delivery of aircraft and long-range missiles to complement US and German commitments to supply modern battle tanks.
“The key now is speed and quantity. The speed of training our forces, the speed of delivering tanks to Ukraine. The number of tanks,” Zelenskyy said.
“We must form such a tank force, such a force of freedom, that after their blow, tyranny will never rise again.”
Zelensky says that the next “dream” concerns aviation and long-range missiles
Russia, which invaded neighboring Ukraine 11 months ago as part of what it called a “special military operation” to protect Russia’s security, condemned the decision to supply the tanks as a dangerous provocation.
Zelensky referred to his conversation with Stoltenberg, saying that “progress needs to be made in other aspects of our defense cooperation,” namely long-range missiles, artillery and aviation for Ukraine.
“This is a dream. And this is a mission. An important task for all of us,” Zelenskyy said.
In fact, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has previously stated that fighter jets are on his “wish list,” even though his government’s top priority is air defense systems.
Yuri Sak, an adviser to Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, told Reuters that Ukraine wants fourth-generation aircraft such as the F-16.
It will be recalled that President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the US will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a larger effort by European allies.
Biden’s remarks came after Germany said it would supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, allaying fears about sending the heavy weapons Kyiv says is necessary to defeat a Russian invasion.
Source: Hot News
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