Russian terror, armaments and delayed war: Zelenskyy addresses NATO Summit in Madrid

"EUROPEAN PRAVDA" – WEDNESDAY, 29 JUNE 2022, 13:40

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, in his address to the NATO Summit in Madrid called on the Alliance member states to stop the Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and "find a place for Ukraine" in the common security space.

Source: "European Pravda" reporter in Madrid

In his address, Zelenskyy stated that the war that’s been raging in Ukraine for over four months should not drag on, and so Ukraine needs to be provided with more armaments, and in particular with more modern artillery.

 "The war should not drag on. To overpower Russia in artillery, we need many more such modern systems, modern artillery", he said.

Ukraine also needs modern anti-missile systems and a powerful air defence system to protect civilians from Russian missile attacks and bombings.

 "By providing them to us, you can break the Russian tactic of destroying cities and terrorising the civilian population. This is a fundamental thing. The distance from Kyiv to Madrid is shorter than the range of the missiles used against us. Can one state respond to such a threat all by itself, without the help of partners? You can provide this help", he stated.

The President has asked for support for Ukraine not only with weapons but also with funding and "such sanctions against Russia as will make it unable to fund the war".

Zelenskyy also emphasised that Ukraine needs security guarantees. He remarked that NATO should find a place for Ukraine in the common security space and help win the war, otherwise a protracted war with Russia will pose a threat to NATO.

"Either there will be urgent aid for Ukraine that is sufficient for its victory, or NATO will have to deal with a protracted war with Russia",  said the President.

Zelenskyy criticised NATO for not extending its "open door policy" to Ukraine, and argued that the "grey zone" between NATO and Russia should be eliminated.

"NATO’s open-door policy should not resemble the old Kyiv metro turnstiles, which stay open but close when you approach them, until you pay. Hasn’t Ukraine paid enough? Hasn’t our contribution to defending Europe and civilisation as a whole been sufficient? What else do we have to do?" asked the President.

Background: Joe Biden, the US President, declared a significant increase in America’s presence in Europe in connection with the Russian aggression.

More details on the NATO Summit are provided in the video: What will Ukraine receive? Is the Alliance ready for the war with Russia?