Zelensky puts pressure on

West should ignore Putin’s “red lines”

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Volodymyr Selenskyj(Bild: AFP/Daniel ROLAND)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Western partners to provide long-range missiles so that they can also attack targets in Russia. Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin's "red lines" should be ignored by the Western allies.

Selensky made this demand on Friday at a meeting of the so-called contact group at the US base in Ramstein, Germany. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not share the request. According to insiders, however, a corresponding delivery is to become a reality.

There is no single weapon that could turn the tide of the war in Ukraine in Kiev's favor, explained Austin. When asked by reporters, he rejected the idea that permission for low-altitude attacks with Western weapons inside Russia could bring about a decisive turnaround.

Ultimately, the war would be ended at the negotiating table. However, it remains to be seen when this will happen. Right at the beginning, the US Secretary of Defense announced that US President Joe Biden would approve additional aid for Ukraine amounting to 250 million dollars.

Ukraine needs more fighter jets
"It will increase capabilities to meet Ukraine's changing requirements," said Austin. The funds should be made available quickly, he said. Austin had invited the members of the Contact Group to the conference at the largest US airbase outside the United States. This includes around 50 countries.

The Ukrainian armed forces also need more F-16 fighter jets and more air defense capabilities to be able to hold their own against the Russian military, Selensky continued. "We need these long-range capabilities not only on (...) Ukrainian territory, but also on Russian territory," said Zelenskyi.

Kiev wants peace through strength
This will put pressure on Russia to seek peace talks. Such attacks on military airports, for example, could also prevent Russian airstrikes in Ukraine. It is unusual for Selenskyj to take part in the meeting of the Contact Group of States Supporting the Defense of Ukraine, which is held at defence minister level.

However, the situation has worsened dramatically in recent weeks. Kiev's armed forces are coming under increasing pressure, particularly in eastern Ukraine. In addition, Russia is covering the whole of Ukraine with air strikes.

Armored howitzers from Germany
Meanwhile, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced new arms deliveries to Ukraine. "We will deliver twelve modern Type 2000 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine," he said. Six of these howitzers were to be delivered to Ukraine this year. However, Germany remained opposed to the Ukrainian president's demand to allow the use of Western weapons against targets far inside Russia.