Ukrainian President Volodimyr Zelenski Calls on Western Allies to Provide Lethal Weapons Support at Meeting on Friday
Ukraine President Volodimir Zelenski affirmed on Thursday, January 19, 2023 that he expects “strong decisions” from the alliance meeting to be held Friday, January 20, at the US military base Ramstein in Germany, to provide Ukraine with weapons as they deal with Russian aggression.
In his daily evening address, Zelenski stated, “We prepare for Ramstein tomorrow. We expect strong decisions.” He also added in an interview with ARD public television, “If you have ‘Leopards’, give them to us.”
The Ukrainian president believes that the Leopard tanks sent to Ukraine are only for defending against Russia and will not be returned to them. He also urged the Germany government not to delay the decision as “people die every day” in his country.
The meeting will be attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, along with Ukraine’s Western allies.
In a joint statement with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Oleksii emphasized the demand for greater support from Ukraine’s Western allies, including the Leopard tanks. The statement appreciated UK’s decision to transfer a Challenger 2 armored squadron but stated that it’s not enough.
Apart from the UK, Ukraine has called on Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey to join the supplies.
