Zelenskyy says air defense ‘significant’ in answering when war with Russia will end

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that providing air defense systems to his country is “significant” in answering the question about when the war with Russia will end.

“Our task now is to get through this difficult time, through this winter. But, in fact, the real power of this task, if fulfilled, is much greater than just getting through this winter. Air defense is a significant part of the answer to the question of when this war will end and whether it will end justly for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

He said everyone can see what the systems can provide for security and that long-range air defense systems can also ensure the functioning of corridors in the Black Sea and the Danube region.

“Air defense will ensure that Russian jets will not be able to approach our borders. And therefore, it will solve the issue of Russian guided bombs. We all need this kind of push now. A step forward in our defense,” he said. “For Ukraine, this will be a victory of life. It is vital. For Russia, it will be a failure of its key strategy.”

The Ukrainian president said his country and its allies must “win the winter battle,” and the answer to it is air defense and other types of weapons

“Above all, please remember that this will not only help to bring a just end to the war for us but will also keep the war away from you, from your borders and the borders of your allies -- from the alliance. Missiles and drones will not fall in Romania, Poland or elsewhere if they cannot overcome the protection of the Ukrainian sky,” he said.