Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj: War Duration Depends on Aid from Allies and Friends

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the duration of the war depends on the support of the country’s allies.

The president spoke on Monday to EU foreign ministers, who had traveled to Kyiv to assure Ukraine of its long-term support.

“Our victory is directly related to our cooperation: the stronger and more principled steps we take, the sooner the war will end,” Zelenskyy said, according to a statement published by his secretariat.

Zelenskyj emphasized the importance of defense equipment after Congress in Washington over the weekend excluded a program item on appropriations for Ukraine from its draft budget and the Slovak election was won by a politician who says he wants to end arms aid to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president said that Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning the confrontation with Russia.

– But our victory depends on cooperation with you, said Zelenskyj with a clear appeal to the EU’s foreign ministers.

– It is important for all of us to take steps forward in all areas, without stopping at anything. It requires leadership and activity in Europe. New steps are constantly needed in the areas of defense and diplomacy, politics and integration, economy and sanctions. These are steps that will strengthen our common positions, said the statement published by the president’s office.

Zelenskyj emphasized in particular that it is necessary to maximize the protection of Ukrainian airspace until winter. He said that systems that Ukraine has already received, such as Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS, play a positive role and save lives.

– We need more of these systems, especially some Patriot units to protect the southern regions. They can fundamentally change the situation and go a long way towards making the Russian terror meaningless, said the president.