The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, today in Germany called on the military leaders of Western countries to allow Ukraine to shoot targets deep in Russian territory.
The meeting of the Defense Contact Group of Ukraine coincides with the first offensive operation of the Ukrainian army on Russian soil, while on its own soil it faces a significant threat from Russian forces near the Donbass.
"We need to have this possibility (of an attack), not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, so that Russia is forced to seek peace. We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need : peace or Putin," said Zelensky to the Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base.
To date, the US has been reluctant to ease restrictions on the use of long-range missiles it supplies to Ukraine, out of concern that it could further escalate the conflict.
However, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said that Zelenskiy convinced him to support this proposal and that he hopes that other Western allies will also support the request.
"One of the things that President Zelensky and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering attacks from air bases and military facilities located inside Russia," Blair said.
"We support their request for a permit, but it is still the decision of our allies," he added.
So far, the surprise attack on the territory of the Russian Kursk region has not diverted the focus of Russian President Vladimir Putin from the capture of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, where the railroads and connections for the supply of the Ukrainian army are important. The loss of Pokrovsko could threaten other Ukrainian cities.
"While (Ukraine's offensive on) Kursk has put Russia on the defensive, we know that Putin's malice runs deep, and Moscow is applying pressure, particularly over Pokrovsk," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
This week's large-scale Russian airstrikes prompted Zelensky to demand that the US further loosen restrictions and that Ukraine be granted even greater permission to strike deeper into Russian territory.
Zelensky also said that the promised weapons systems "are not arriving fast enough" and that the number of anti-aircraft defense systems that have not yet been delivered is "substantial", he said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the promised systems, particularly the Patriot anti-aircraft system, must be delivered to help Ukraine defend its power grid and other infrastructure in winter.
Last year, Russia repeatedly targeted power systems in Ukraine.
During the meeting, Austin announced that the Biden administration would give Ukraine another $250 million worth of weapons.
Western countries have been working with Ukraine to procure a replacement missile for its Soviet-era S-300 air defense systems, Austin said.
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