Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to international partners for their support in strengthening the country’s air defense system and emphasized that Kyiv continues active work with the American side to reach agreements on the supply of Patriot systems and missiles.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine is preparing for new meetings with partners
In his evening address, Volodymyr Zelensky announced the preparation of a series of important meetings as part of the recovery conference taking place this week in Italy. The President instructed the Minister of Defense to organize the upcoming events in the “Ramstein” format and also discussed potential cooperation options with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. According to him, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other partners are currently actively supporting the functioning of the “Ramstein” format.
“We are working, in particular, with the American side for relevant decisions regarding the Patriots and missiles for them. We are also preparing relevant meetings this week in Italy. I instructed the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to prepare for the next meetings of the ‘Ramstein’ in various formats, and I already discussed several options today with British Prime Minister Starmer. The UK, together with Germany and other partners, is currently maintaining the functionality of ‘Ramstein’, and in August-September we expect, we very much anticipate new steps from the format for our Ukrainian resilience.”
In addition, Zelensky announced a meeting with representatives of the “coalition of the willing,” which is set to take place this week. The Ukrainian delegation during the Italian conference will receive a specific list of tasks aimed at strengthening the protection of cities and communities from air attacks.
Challenges in arms supply and the role of Patriot in defending Ukraine
The President emphasized that Russia continues massive attacks with kamikaze drones, including those produced in Iran, and called on international partners to enhance assistance in countering these threats.
Earlier, Zelensky reported on his conversation with US President Donald Trump, which he described as “the best and most productive” among all previous contacts. During the conversation, the importance of the Patriot system for protecting Ukraine from ballistic missiles was highlighted.
At the same time, in early July, the USA announced a partial halt to arms supplies to Ukraine due to concerns about depleting its own military stocks. The American side did not specify which systems were subject to restrictions, but according to media reports, it involves a temporary suspension of the supply of dozens of interceptors for the Patriot, portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, precision artillery munitions, over a hundred Hellfire missiles, as well as AIM missiles.
The Ukrainian leadership hopes for positive decisions from the USA and other partners regarding the strengthening of air defense, which is crucial for protecting the population and critical infrastructure of the country.
