Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the Western military alliance NATO for the Patriot air defense system. In a video conference on Friday, he told NATO defense ministers that Ukraine needs the Patriot air defense system to prevent Russian attacks.
 Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that at the moment, Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot air defense systems to prevent Russia’s increasing air attacks, and whether Ukraine and NATO are allies or not, getting the Patriot will determine.
“(Russian President) Putin must be stopped,” the Ukrainian president said. Then the airspace will be safe again. And this is entirely a matter for NATO. They will decide whether we are their friends or not.
Note that the Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system developed by the United States. Originally, the missile system was designed to intercept aircraft flying at high altitudes. The system was modernized in the 1980s, with a focus on countering strategic ballistic missiles. This system was used against Russian Scud missiles used by Iraq during the first Gulf War. That was the first use of this system on a battlefield.
Zelenskyy told NATO defense ministers that true allies will be judged by whether NATO allies are willing to provide more military aid to troubled Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, Western aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia is extremely limited. At that time, he mentioned the issue of the continued support of Western countries for Israel.
Criticizing NATO’s inaction on arms deliveries, Zelenskyy said, “We cannot wait this year to make a decision.”
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