PRESS RELEASE : Obtaining air defense systems is one of the priorities for Ukraine, it will ensure security to the people – Volodymyr Zelenskyy [September 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 September 2022.

A priority for Ukraine today is to obtain air defense and anti-missile systems that will protect citizens and civil infrastructure from constant attacks by Russia. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following a meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the availability of modern air defense systems will contribute, in particular, to the return of Ukrainians home from abroad.

“The issue is to guarantee their security. This is a complicated issue. Security is air defense. I don’t know how to solve it very quickly, but air defense and anti-missile defense are a priority for us today,” he said.

According to the Head of State, there are certain positive decisions regarding the supply of NASAMS and IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.

“We expect several IRIS-T systems. We haven’t received any yet. Just as we expect NASAMS from the US – and we are grateful for approving this process,” the President said.

According to the Head of State, Ukraine is determined to actively work on the issue of air defense systems provision with such countries as France, Italy, and Germany.

“I have not yet received a positive response from Israel. There are not so many states capable of guaranteeing the closing of the sky for us, at least from the point of view of air defense. And this issue should be resolved with these states,” he explained.

The President emphasized the importance of speeding up the process of providing our country with air defense systems, because Ukrainian civilians die every day from the aggression of the Russian Federation.

“I would like all countries capable of providing Ukraine with heavy equipment to open this window. We are grateful for all the aid they provide to strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said.

The President noted that the recent success at the front, primarily in the Kharkiv region, was made possible thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the fact that Ukraine received the aid it requested.

“Not all yet, but we received it. It is very important that partners support us with what we need. All actions on the battlefield are specific operations that must be backed by specific weapons. Then there will be a concrete result. And we don’t even need to talk about the courage and intelligence of our Armed Forces, everything can be seen from the results,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

For her part, Ursula von de Leyen noted that the European Commission welcomes the joint approach of the EU countries to providing Ukraine with the armed support it needs for its defense.

“This is a general recommendation for all member states of the European Union. The EU itself does not possess any military equipment, but facilitates this process through the funding of the European Peace Facility. But this is the responsibility of EU member states on a bilateral level,” she said.