Zelensky Calls for More Air Defense Systems: The Missile Coming Toward Us Kills People

Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to act more quickly to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses as Russian missile attacks continue.

Speaking to reporters in Serbia, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv has been requesting anti-ballistic missile systems since the start of the war. He expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the United States, Germany, Poland and other countries, but stressed that the current support is not enough.

“This is not a piece of paper flying toward us… it is a real missile that takes people’s lives,” Zelensky said. He called on European countries, not only the United States, to contribute air defense systems.

The Ukrainian head of state also raised concerns about bureaucratic procedures, which he said have delayed the timely arrival of the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself.

Zelensky announced that he had reached an agreement with Donald Trump regarding licenses to produce interceptors for Patriot systems. However, he stressed that results would have been achieved much earlier if such an agreement had been reached in the past. “If we had received them four years ago, today we would be producing Patriots for everyone,” he said.

During the same statement, Zelensky reiterated his call for sanctions against Moscow. He claimed that hundreds or thousands of components for Russian ballistic missiles are sourced from various countries around the world, including some of Ukraine’s partner countries.

According to the Ukrainian president, these components end up in weapons used to strike targets inside Ukraine, causing casualties among civilians, children and soldiers.