New Delhi: Trouble for the President of Ukraine has increased as he realized the weapons provided by the western countries are not enough to fight Russia and other side Russia is planning to boost its defense budget this year.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the Ukrainian military had only received around 10 percent of the western weapons it had requested.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with western nations for more and faster deliveries of military arms during his nightly address Tuesday as the government of Russia is planning to boost its defense budget. “Ukraine won’t use any long-range missile systems the West might provide to strike civilian neighborhoods in Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the US media, Russia has closed in on key cities in the Donbas and plans to significantly increase its military budget.
Meanwhile, Russia slowly tightened its grip on the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk — one of two large cities still under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, one of two regions that make up the Donbas. Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk, said Tuesday that Russian troops control about 80 percent of the city and have destroyed all three bridges leading out of it.
It appears Russia will significantly boost its military budget to continue its slow but steady attack on the Donbas: British defense officials said that the first deputy chairman of Russia’s Military Industrial Commission predicted that state defense spending will increase by 10 to 12 million U.S. dollars — approaching a 20 percent increase in Russian President Vladimir Putin defense budget.
Zelenskyy spoke remotely to Danish media on the eve of a meeting of global defense ministers in Brussels that could determine the heft and amount of weaponry supporting nations will provide Ukraine’s out-gunned but unwavering military.
Ukraine cities have been pounded from a distance by long-range Russian weapons his military can’t reach.
“We are not interested in shelling civilians, we are not terrorists,” Zelenskyy said. “We need the right weapons … that work at such a distance.”
Zelenskyy said he was willing to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with or without mediators, on ending the war and withdrawing Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
“Only President Putin decides whether the Russian army will stop or not,” Zelenskyy said. “In Russia, there is one person who decides absolutely everything for the citizens of Russia and for the Russian military.”
(Vinayak)