Zelenskiy Seeks Allies’ Support for Air Defense and Long-Range Strikes at Ramstein Talks, According to Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he expressed the urgency for decisive actions from Western allies to support Ukraine’s ability to conduct long-range strikes into Russia and edge closer to peace.

In light of recent intensified attacks on Ukraine featuring hundreds of drones and missiles, Kyiv reiterated its critical demand for enhanced air defense and long-range capabilities. This is essential to counter Russia’s ongoing invasion, which has persisted for over 30 months.

Zelenskiy emphasized the necessity for long-range capabilities that extend beyond Ukrainian territory into Russia, arguing that such measures would encourage Russia to pursue peace. He made these comments during a gathering of the Ramstein group, which consists of around 50 nations supplying arms to Ukraine.

This occasion marked Zelenskiy’s first participation in the meeting of defense ministers at the U.S. air base. His agenda included joining a session of the Contact Group focused on Ukraine’s defense, along with discussions with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Additionally, he planned to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his trip.

Following the meetings in Germany, Zelenskiy intends to travel to Italy for the Ambrosetti international economic forum where he will engage with Italian business representatives, as stated in a message he shared on Telegram. He also aims to hold discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to align strategies with allies in the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized nations.