Ukraine is trying to convince its Western backers to shoot down Russian missiles and drones fired on Ukraine
Zelenskyy complains West won’t even talk about shooting down Russian missiles “They just change the subject” on that issue, said Ukrainian president.
Ukraine said there was a double standard earlier this year when Kyiv saw a wide coalition of Western countries helping Israel to repel a massive Iranian attack of missiles and drones.
Military operation in Ukraine 3 Oct, 10:08 Kiev allies not ready to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, Zelensky admits
The Ukrainian president complained that Western countries are ready to provide assistance in protecting the airspace of Israel, but not Ukraine
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MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Kiev allies are not ready to shoot down Russian missiles and drones over the Ukrainian territory, the country's President Vladimir Zelensky admitted after meeting with the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Ukrainian capital.
"As for whether the [NATO] allies are ready to shoot down [Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory], we are working with everyone. They are not ready yet," Zelensky said at a press conference that was broadcast on the alliance's website.
NATO Secretary General with the President of Ukraine 🇺🇦 Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv, 03 OCT 2024
Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, in Kyiv, 3 October 2024.
During his maiden trip as NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte visited Kyiv. The Secretary General met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
🗣 | NATO Secretary General:
Dear Volodymyr,
Thank you for your warm welcome.
This is now my fifth time in Ukraine since the full onslaught of Russia started in February 2022. Together we visited Odessa, we visited Kharkiv, and obviously we had numerous meetings here in Kyiv. But this is my very first time as NATO Secretary General, and it was important to me that I come to Ukraine at the start of my mandate.
To make crystal clear to you, to the people of Ukraine, and to everyone watching, that NATO stands with Ukraine.
As the new NATO Secretary General,
it is my priority and my privilege to take this support forward,
working with you to ensure that Ukraine prevails.
Volodymyr, I have said this before and I say it again, your tireless leadership is an inspiration to me, to us all.
The dedication of your armed forces and the determination of the Ukrainian people remind us of just how precious freedom is.
And how crucial it is that we do all we can to defend it.
And this is why NATO was founded 75 years ago –
to safeguard the freedom and security of all of our members.
And this is why we are so committed to supporting Ukraine –
because your security matters for ours,
and your fight for freedom reflects our core principles and values.
NATO Allies have provided Ukraine with unprecedented support since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Including more than 99% of all military aid.
But we know that you need more. So Allies agreed at the NATO Summit in Washington this summer to make sure we could provide you with more –
more equipment, more training, more support.
We are setting up a NATO Command
to coordinate the provision of security assistance and training –
helping to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs,
gets what is promised,
and that the support provided today contributes to building a NATO-interoperable future, in the future.Allies also have agreed to a financial pledge.
With a baseline of 40 billion euros worth of military aid within a year.
And a commitment to review this level of support every year,
so that Ukraine has what it needs to prevail.
We know the need is urgent.
And we are working hard to do more, and more quickly.In the last few weeks, several Allies announced further military aid for Ukraine Including
new contributions from Denmark, from Latvia, the United Kingdom, and
nearly 8 billion dollars of assistance from the United States.
Supporting Ukraine and replenishing our own stocks means increasing industrial production, and that will be a priority for me.That is why in Washington, Allies agreed to enhance our defence industrial capacity.
Working among Allies – on both sides of the Atlantic.
And also with you, with Ukraine.
To help build your domestic capacity, which has proven so effective and can only be improved with further investment and further innovation.
Indeed, as you said, today, we discussed all of these elements.
The areas where Ukraine needs further support.
And the ways in which NATO is working to provide it.
Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.
And will continue on this path until you become a member of our Alliance.
I very much look forward to that day.
Mr President,
dear Volodymyr,
NATO stands with Ukraine.
For your security, and for ours.
Thank you once again.
Transcript continues:
Supporting Ukraine and replenishing our own stocks means increasing industrial production, and that will be a priority for me. That is why in Washington, Allies agreed to enhance our defence industrial capacity.
Working among Allies – on both sides of the Atlantic.
And also with you, with Ukraine.
To help build your domestic capacity, which has proven so effective and can only be improved with further investment and further innovation.
Indeed, as you said, today, we discussed all of these elements.
The areas where Ukraine needs further support.
And the ways in which NATO is working to provide it.
Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.
And will continue on this path until you become a member of our Alliance.
I very much look forward to that day.
Mr President
The areas where Ukraine needs further support.
And the ways in which NATO is working to provide it.
Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before. And will continue on this path until you become a member of our Alliance. I very much look forward to that day.
Mr President dear Volodymyr,NATO stands with Ukraine.For your security, and for ours. Thank you once again.Transcript continues: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/op...
"Of course, we would like Ukraine not to be forgotten (amid the escalation in the Middle East - TASS)," he said, once again calling for Kiev to be provided with "appropriate weapons" and for a decision to be made on strikes deep into the Russian Federation. Earlier, Poland came up with the idea of protecting Ukrainian airspace with the help of air defense systems on the territory of NATO countries, but the alliance's leadership stressed that such decisions can only be made following consultations with all allies. Tags Vladimir ZelenskyMilitary operation in Ukraine New NATO Chief Rutte Says Wants Ukraine To 'Prevail' In Kyiv Trip
NATO's chief Mark Rutte told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday that his goal as head of the Western military alliance was to ensure that "Ukraine prevails."
In a major show of support for Kyiv, Rutte went to the Ukrainian capital for his maiden trip as secretary general of the alliance.
But in a joint media appearance, Zelensky blasted Western delays over supplying long-range weapons he says are critical to fighting off the Russian invasion, and called on NATO members to shoot down Russian missiles and drones fired on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia confirmed it had captured the eastern town of Vugledar, underscoring the difficulties Ukrainian troops face across the sprawling 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line. Kyiv relies on billions of dollars in Western military aid to fight the Russian invasion, with the NATO leader a powerful voice corralling support for Ukraine on the global stage.
Rutte said he chose Kyiv as his first trip "to make crystal clear to you, to the people of Ukraine and to everyone watching, that NATO stands with Ukraine."
BLOGGER NOTE: The Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s fastest-growing English-language media outlet, created in November 2021, just three months before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky calls for jointly intercepting Russian missiles during NATO chief Rutte's visit to Kyiv
Newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 3 for a surprise visit. Rutte's visit came days after he took the helm as the alliance's new secretary general.
As a Dutch prime minister, he remained one of the staunchest of Kyiv's allies, taking the lead with initiatives like providing F-16 planes to Ukraine.
The NATO secretary general said on Oct. 1 that Ukraine would remain one of his top priorities amid Russia's ongoing war.
Speaking at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine's path towards NATO is "irreversible."
"Now we are focused on getting Ukraine invited to join the alliance. This is a very important step. It is difficult to achieve. We are focused on this result. We will do everything to get it,"Zelensky said.
Following their meeting in Kyiv, Zelensky said that he and the new NATO secretary general discussed the implementations of "the decisions of the Alliance's Washington summit."
The Ukrainian president also talked to Rutte about the possibility of jointly intercepting Russian drones and missiles.
"Jointly intercepting Iranian missiles is no different from jointly intercepting Russian missiles, and especially 'Shaheds,' which link the Russian and Iranian regimes,"Zelensky said in the wake of fresh Iranian missile attacks against Israel.
The Western partners have thus far refused to help Ukraine in shooting down drones and missiles over its territory, fearing this could be seen as a direct involvement in the war.
The president also said that "Ukraine needs to strengthen its positions on the front line so that we can increase pressure on Russia for the sake of fair, real diplomacy." This is why the country needs a "sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, including long-range weapons, the provision of which, in my opinion, is being delayed by our partners," he added
"Our key goal is Ukraine's full NATO membership. Ukraine can become the 33rd member of NATO. Ukrainians deserve this,"Zelensky noted.
Earlier, Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, said Ukraine will join NATOonly after Russia's full-scale war ends.
The invitation to join NATO is part of Ukraine's victory plan that was presented to U.S. President Joe Biden in late September.
The July NATO summit in Washington ended with the launch of the Ukraine Compact, a security framework signed by 32 allies.
The countries affirmed Kyiv's "irreversible" path toward membership, though Ukraine did not receive any definitive news about its future accession.
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