Zelenskyy: Ukraine negotiating strikes on Russia with Western weapons, no positive results yet
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that partners could help intercept enemy missiles over Ukraine and allow Kyiv to use Western weapons against Russian military equipment accumulating near the border and deep within Russia, but Ukraine is still negotiating the latter with no positive results so far, Reuters reports.
Partners could help more directly, specifically by shooting down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory under certain circumstances, according to the president. He said that Russians use 300 aircraft on Ukrainian territory. Instead, Ukraine needs at least 120-130 planes to resist in the skies, Zelenskyy added, referring to American F-16s, some of which the president hopes will soon be used in combat.
"You [partners] can't provide this right now? OK … returning to the planes that you have on the territory of neighboring NATO countries: Waise them up … shoot down targets, protect civilians. Can they do this? I'm sure that yes. Is this an attack by NATO countries [on Russia], involvement? No," he explained.
Additionally, the president noted that Kyiv is negotiating with international partners to use their weapons to strike Russian military equipment at the border and further inside Russia.
However, he stated that "there is nothing positive" regarding this yet.
Read also: Ukraine needs more weapons from US, insists on right to use them inside Russia – Amb. Markarova