Ukrainian president seeks extended air defense support, tighter sanctions at NATO meeting

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO parliamentarians meeting in Slovenia on Monday to extend air defense support, maintain military assistance, and reinforce sanctions, saying that continued international support is critical to protecting energy infrastructure amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Speaking online to the 71st Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, hosted by Slovenia, Zelenskyy said Kyiv withstood a new wave of Russian attacks in the Sumy and Donetsk regions this summer and is now pushing forward on the battlefield thanks to increased domestic weapon production.

"More than 40% of the weapons on the front are now made in Ukraine," he said, emphasizing the importance of foreign military supplies.

Zelenskyy also called for a faster transfer of pledged funds under the US-backed Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, thanking countries that have already participated and encouraging others to do so.

“I thank the countries that have already joined this program… Thank you. It is important that the pledged contributions arrive and are used quickly. They save lives,” he said, naming the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, the Baltic states, Belgium, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Slovenia among contributors.

Claiming that Russia’s battlefield setbacks increase internal pressure on President Vladimir Putin to negotiate, Zelenskyy stressed that the international community should not relax sanctions and must cut off supply chains of critical components used in Russian missiles and drones.

“No Russian missile or drone would fly without parts from other countries… Our team can provide all the facts, and we are ready to share any information you need,” he said, urging parliaments to act.

He linked recent diplomatic progress in the Middle East to the broader possibility of negotiated outcomes, saying the same pressure that helped produce deals there can be applied to force Russia to seek peace.

“If that is possible, then Putin can also be forced to restore peace,” he said, adding that stopping Russia now protects not only Ukrainians but all countries that might face similar threats.