Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with two visiting American lawmakers in Kyiv on Wednesday and handed them a letter asking the United States to provide more antiballistic missiles, citing what he described as constant Russian attacks.
According to Zelenskyy, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jim Himes visited the Ukrainian capital after what he described as a massive attack. Zelenskyy said he had already sent the letter to the White House and Congress earlier in the week — an unusual move, he noted, for a foreign leader to address both the president of the United States and Congress at the same time — and delivered a copy to the lawmakers in person.
“We have a significant need for antiballistic missiles due to the constant Russian attacks,” Zelenskyy said. “We are counting on timely support.”
During the meeting, Zelenskyy said he briefed Blumenthal and Himes on the frontline situation, sanctions pressure on Russia and Ukraine’s work with the American side on concluding a drone deal.
He also urged Washington not to weaken sanctions against Russia, saying Ukraine’s partners can see that Russia is suffering “enormous losses.”
On diplomacy, Zelenskyy said talks must not stall. In a separate post, he said much of the world’s attention is focused on what he called the war in Iran, but that the war in Europe, “already in its fifth year at full scale,” also must be brought to an end.
“As long as Russia continues to rely on missiles, its interest in diplomacy is not real,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We must correct this. And we can do so only together with America.”
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