Zelensky urges countries to send Ukraine air defense systems amid Russian missile strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a plea for the country’s allies to send it air defense systems in response to continued Russian missile attacks. 

Zelensky made a speech addressed to the Ukrainian people and the world on Saturday as the Russia-Ukraine war reached four full months. He said countries issuing punishing sanctions on Russia is not enough, and air defense systems are needed more in Ukraine than “anywhere else in the world.” 

“But it’s not us who will be overpowered, we will overpower them,” Zelensky said. “No Russian missiles, no strikes can break the morale of Ukrainians. And each of their missiles is an argument in our negotiations with partners.” 

Zelensky said 45 Russian missiles had struck Ukraine in the past day with the goal of demonstrating that the Russian army will succeed in capturing the country. He said Russia was originally planning to conquer Ukraine within a few days, and the show of force with missiles will not make any strategic difference. 

“This is such a phase of the war – morally difficult, emotionally difficult,” he said. “When we know that the enemy will not succeed, when we understand that we will still be able to defend our state, but we do not feel the time limits of this, we do not feel how many more strikes, losses, efforts will be before we see that victory is already on our horizon.” 

He said he plans to attend the Group of Seven (G-7) summit, a meeting of the leaders of the world’s largest economies, on Monday and a NATO summit after that. 

Zelensky’s speech comes as Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the city of Severodonetsk, one of the last remaining strongholds in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. 

But Ukraine did achieve a non-military victory this week when it was accepted to be an official candidate to join the European Union. Becoming a member may take years, but the step further integrates Ukraine into the rest of Europe as Moscow attempts to draw it into the Russian sphere of influence.