The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced new measures to strengthen the country’s air defense and missile defense. During his address on May 29, Zelensky emphasized the threat of a new massive missile attack from the Russian Federation and urged citizens not to ignore air raid alerts.
This is reported by Finway
International support and the PURL program
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that strengthening air defense is one of the state’s priorities. The President thanked international partners for their ongoing assistance in ensuring the protection of Ukrainian skies, specifically highlighting the importance of cooperation within the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program. According to Zelensky, both the USA and European countries are involved in this initiative, and the funds they have accumulated are directed towards the purchase of missiles, particularly for the Patriot systems.
“We are accumulating funds from European partners and other friends to buy missiles, particularly for the Patriots, and sufficient supplies depend on America – we hope that Ukraine will be heard,” the president stated.
Additionally, the president mentioned Japan’s decision to allocate 14.6 million dollars for the needs of Ukrainian defense within the PURL framework. These funds are intended for the purchase of modern American weapons that will help strengthen protection against missile attacks.
Plans to create a European anti-ballistic system
The president reported that Ukraine’s diplomatic services are actively working to strengthen international support. He noted that important negotiations regarding the creation of a European anti-ballistic defense system are planned for the coming weeks. Zelensky emphasized the need to consolidate efforts to ensure an adequate level of security for Ukraine and Europe as a whole.
During a meeting with American congressmen Richard Blumenthal and Jim Himes, the President of Ukraine stressed the critical importance of additional air defense systems, particularly the Patriot complexes. Earlier, Zelensky sent a letter to the President of the United States and Congress, informing them of the growing shortage of means to intercept missiles, especially ballistic ones, against the backdrop of constant threats from Russia. This message emphasized: “In terms of protection against ballistic missiles, we rely almost exclusively on the United States”. Washington has not yet provided an official response to this letter.