Weeks and months, and not kilometers, between partners' decision on weapons supply to Ukraine and their arrival to front – Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the interval between the approval of the decisions to supply weapons to Ukraine by the U.S. Congress and European partners and its actual arrival to the front is measured in weeks and even months, and not kilometers.
The head of state stressed that the situation on the eastern front has been tense for many days and the military initiative is currently on Russia's side. According to him, this initiative can be seized only if weapon supplies to the Ukrainian defense forces are increased.
"We are living with this and we are fighting, strengthening [our forces], negotiating, putting a maximum pressure on our partners to boost weapons supplies. […] We know the names [of necessary weapons], we understand what quantity is needed to at least give our people some rest. Rotations are being conducted. There is a schedule of these rotations. Thank God, we have all of this," he said during a joint press conference with the President of the European Parliament in Kyiv.
At the same time, Zelenskyy said that in addition to "these strong brigades, which are being withdrawn from the front line, should be replaced with new equipped brigades, and not just strong guys, guys with empty hands."
"Therefore, [there is an interval] between this assistance from point A – the votes on the assistance from the Congress or Europe, and we are grateful to all of them – to point B – Ukraine and the front. And it [the interval] is [measured] not in kilometers, today it is about weeks and months. Unfortunately. We can see this. Yes, there are supplies, but these are not the volumes that were approved," the president said.
As soon as these shipments arrive, "we will stop their initiative on the East of our country," he said.
However, under conditions of a lack of the weapons promised by partners, "they [the Russian army] have increased their troops in the North, East of our state. […] The main thing we know is that we can see this number," the president said.
"Both we and our partners live in this reality. We work fast, share intelligence data and pay attention to strengthening our borders and lines. Therefore, only strengthening our army on the battlefield will allow them to prevail. We need everything [weapons] to arrive faster," he said.
Also, according to him, an increase in domestic production of artillery and drones will ensure the capability to resist the enemy.