Zelenskyy on long-range strikes on Russia: We need to find key to one country, others will follow suit

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is working with world leaders to secure authorisation for Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes on targets inside Russia and hopes to summarise the outcome of these talks with US President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly in September.

Source: Zelenskyy told this to journalists from Ukraine’s national joint 24/7 newscast in an interview in Italy, broadcast on Saturday afternoon

Details: The president mentioned that during his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he discussed the supply of a SAMP-T air defence system to Ukraine, noting that the system "will be in Ukraine." Zelenskyy added that "we’re engaged in discussions and working to bring this day closer; it’s very near. This is a positive development."

He also noted that he and Meloni had discussed "long-range justice for Ukraine, and Italy is one of the countries we are counting on".

Quote: "I’ve been working on this project in general. That's why I met with [US Secretary of Defence Lloyd] Austin, I met with German Defence Minister [Boris] Pistorius, I met with [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz, I talked to [French President Emmanuel] Macron the night I left. And now I met with Georgia Meloni.

If the [security] situation in the country allows me to go to the General Assembly in September, we’ll summarise the results of all these meetings with [US President Joe] Biden. I’m very hopeful for the outcome."

Details: Zelenskyy acknowledged that there is yet no consensus among Western partners on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons against targets inside Russia.

Quote: "I remember working on the [authorisation allowing Ukraine to] use long-range weapons on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. There was no consensus then, either. But it's important to find the key to at least one country, and then others will follow suit. We are counting on it."

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