kyiv:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Western allies on Friday to ignore Moscow’s “red lines” and allow Kyiv to use long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory, as Washington pledged another $250 million in weaponry for Kyiv.
Zelenskiy made his first appearance at a regular U.S.-hosted gathering of Ukraine’s allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and sought to present the long-range strike options as another way to pressure Russia to end its 2-1/2-year-old invasion.
He spoke at a high-risk moment for Ukrainian forces, which launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk region even as Russian forces are laser-focused on seizing the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, a key logistics hub for Kyiv’s war effort.
“We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” Zelenskiy said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pointed to the Kursk offensive as an example of how Ukraine was working to seize the battlefield initiative. “The Kremlin’s army of aggression is now on the defensive on its own turf,” Austin said.
Still, Austin’s remarks appeared more focused on the broader Western effort to sustain Ukraine’s campaign to repel Russian forces from its territory, including an announcement of another $250 million in security assistance.