KIEV:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has increased pressure on the United States to allow Kiev to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory. This follows discussions between Ukrainian officials and senior US leaders in Washington. While the US has provided Ukraine with over $50 billion in military aid since 2022, it has restricted the use of these weapons on Ukrainian soil and in cross-border defensive operations.
Zelensky stressed that targeted air strikes in Kharkiv had killed six people and wounded 97 on Friday, with more attacks on Saturday. He argued that these strikes could only be prevented by targeting Russian military airfields, bases and logistics networks. In his nightly video address, Zelensky said: “We talk about this every day with our partners. We persuade. We present arguments.”
He stressed that the removal of Russian aerial threats from the skies of Ukraine will push Russia towards ending the war and achieving a just peace.
Appealing to the US, Britain, France and Germany, Zelensky called for the ability to fully protect Ukraine by providing access to long-range capabilities, including missiles and missiles. Without disclosing details, he said that Ukraine provided its partners with all the necessary details to support their requests.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led a delegation to Washington on Friday and Saturday, explained in an interview with CNN that Ukraine shows how Russian airfields used to attack Ukrainian cities were close to deeper strikes. He expressed hope that Ukraine’s requests for possibilities to protect its citizens from Russian airstrikes were understood.
Zelensky is expected to make a similar appeal in person when he meets with US President Joe Biden next month and will present a victory plan. This visit will coincide with his participation in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who led the Kiev delegation, discussed the restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has been heavily damaged by Russian strikes. He emphasized the importance of an $800 million energy funding package announced in June as part of recovery efforts.
In addition, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Umerov briefed US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the current situation on the battlefield during their visit. Yermak stressed the urgency of getting weapons from existing defense packages, especially after a week in which Russia launched more than 400 missile and drone strikes in Ukraine.
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