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Zelenskyy: Ukraine Still Needs US Air Defense Despite Growing Domestic Arms Production
🇺🇦 Ukraine /Conflict & Security

Zelenskyy: Ukraine Still Needs US Air Defense Despite Growing Domestic Arms Production

From Ukrainska Pravda · (1d ago) Ukrainian

Translated from Ukrainian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Ukraine produces most of its own weaponry but still relies on US supplies for air defense systems, President Zelenskyy stated.
  • Zelenskyy urged Germany to help unblock a €90 billion EU loan to boost Ukraine's domestic arms production.
  • The PURL program, focused on air defense, is crucial for protecting Ukraine while domestic production scales up, he added.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's growing domestic arms production capabilities during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. While acknowledging that Ukraine now manufactures the majority of its weaponry for various combat needs, including long-range strikes and frontline engagements, Zelenskyy highlighted a persistent dependence on crucial US-supplied air defense systems. He stressed that sufficient funding is essential to further expand this domestic production capacity.

To bridge this gap and bolster its defense industry, Zelenskyy appealed to Germany, as a key EU leader, to expedite the unblocking of a €90 billion EU loan. He explained that these funds would be directly invested in domestic production, thereby increasing the volume of equipment available for the battlefield. This financial support is seen as vital for Ukraine's self-sufficiency and its ability to sustain its defense efforts.

We expect Germany, as one of the leaders of the European Union, to help us quickly unblock €90bn. This will allow us to invest in our domestic production, and the volume of equipment used on the battlefield will increase.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explaining the need for German support in unblocking an EU loan to boost domestic arms production.

Furthermore, Zelenskyy pointed to the PURL program, which involves NATO countries procuring US weapons for Ukraine, specifically focusing on air defense against ballistic threats. He expressed optimism about future joint production of anti-ballistic systems with European partners. However, he underscored the immediate need for these systems to protect Ukrainian families and citizens while domestic capabilities are still developing. Zelenskyy conveyed gratitude to Germany for its contributions to this program and hinted at further positive developments regarding air defense cooperation.

But for now, while we do not have this and there is a shortage, we must protect our families and our people. For this, we need the PURL programme. We are grateful to Germany for its contributions.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighting the importance of the PURL program for air defense while domestic production is insufficient.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ukrainska Pravda in Ukrainian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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