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ConflictsUkraine

Zelenskyy calls for use of Western weapons in Russia

Nita Blake-Persen
September 6, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling on Western allies to allow Kyiv to use their weapons to attack targets inside Russia. The request has taken on new urgency following deadly Russian attacks on cities across Ukraine.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kL7D

[Video transcript]

Russia's air assaults have wreaked havoc in Ukraine in recent days.

Hundreds of people have been injured or killed, the ramped-up attacks underscoring Ukraine's pleas for help:

Ukrainian President Volodymyrr Zelenskyy: "We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Air defense systems and missiles are needed in Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere. Long-range strikes that can defend against Russian terror are needed now, not sometime later. Unfortunately, every day of delay is a day of loss of life."

While Ukraine's requests are increasingly urgent, the international response is less so.

Publicly, its allies — particularly the EU and the US — remain steadfast in their support for Kyiv.

But as the war drags on, many backers face growing resistance at home over the cost of their military support.

With US elections looming, presidential candidate Donald Trump has threated to cut aid.

In Germany, far-right and far-left opposition parties are campaigning for negotiations to end the war.

With uncertainty over long-term backing, some military analysts believe Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region is an attempt to secure leverage in such negotiations.

But for now, Kyiv is doing all it can to convince its allies to do all THEY can to defend Ukrainians against Russia's attacks.