In brief
President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to use the NATO summit in Ankara to press Western allies for air‑defence equipment amid a barrage of Russian missiles that struck residential buildings in Kyiv. He criticised the scarcity of Patriot interceptors and argues that Russia’s ballistic attacks are a sign of weakness. Zelensky also seeks to convince former US President Donald Trump to push for a “dignified” peace. Ukraine’s drone campaign has damaged Russian oil refineries and pressured Kyiv's front lines, forcing Moscow to reassess its strategy. The war’s severity has prompted calls for increased interceptor stockpiles to safeguard civilians.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, plans to use the NATO summit in Ankara to ask Western allies for air‑defence systems that could stop the relentless Russian missile attacks.
The appeal comes after two massive missile strikes on Kyiv’s city centre in less than a week, destroying apartment blocks and claiming the lives of more than fifty civilians. Russian batteries are now delivering ballistic missiles at kilometres per hour, while Ukraine’s Patriot batteries run out of ammunition.
A key focus of Zelensky’s visit will be securing a willingness from NATO countries, in particular the United States, to hand over Patriot interceptor missiles or to build new systems within Ukraine. He has called the lack of enough US‑made air‑defence weapons “absurd” and urged that they be moved forward to protect civilians.
Zelensky also intends to meet with former US President Donald Trump, who has spoken with Putin for 90 minutes, to push for a “dignified” peace. He frames Russia’s ballistic attacks as an act of weakness and stresses that any talks must respect Kyiv’s territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s own drone campaign – hitting Russian oil refineries, power plants and military bases – has forced Moscow to divert resources to address ongoing missile strikes. The war’s escalation has heightened demands for additional air‑defence hardware worldwide to safeguard civilian life.
