Zelensky says the West should allow long-range attacks inside Russia, supply more weapons
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s incursion into Russia’s western region of Kursk was moving “according to the plan”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
KYIV – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 2 that its Western allies should not only allow their weapons to be used for strikes deep inside Russia, but also supply Kyiv with more of the arms themselves.
Ukraine has long urged partners to allow it to fire Western weapons at targets far into enemy territory, and those calls have grown louder as Russian air strikes on Ukrainian energy installations, other infrastructure and residential buildings intensify.
After a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Sept 2, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv was “more positive” about the prospects of getting such permission.
“For today, only to allow – is also not enough,” he said, adding that allies should ensure deliveries of weapons to use for such attacks. “We didn’t get everything we would like to use,” Mr Zelensky added.
He said he discussed with Mr Schoof the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defences. He mentioned there were “some ideas” on how to increase the fleet of F-16 jets donated by allies, one of which was lost in a crash in Ukraine last week.
“We will keep providing air defence equipment, and F-16s, and funding for munitions,” Mr Schoof said.
The Dutch Prime Minister added that the Netherlands would provide Ukraine with around €200 million (S$289 million) in support to repair energy infrastructure and for humanitarian assistance.
The Netherlands will deliver refurbished gas turbines with a total value of €29.5 million and has allocated €45 million for repairing energy infrastructure, the Dutch foreign ministry said in a statement.
The money comes from a €400 million aid fund the Dutch government pledged to Ukraine earlier in 2024.
Mr Zelensky also commented on the situation on the front lines, saying that Ukraine’s cross-border incursion into Russia’s western region of Kursk was moving “according to the plan”.
He added that Ukraine believed the operation could help to ease pressure on the Pokrovsk front in its east, where Russia has accelerated its advances.
So far, he said, the situation there remained difficult. REUTERS
