Ukrainian President Zelensky calls for more weapons from Western allies

BERLIN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked Western allies to send more powerful weapons to push Russia out of Ukrainian territory.

“If you ask me if the time has come for partners to provide us with all the weapons systems necessary to throw Russia out, then yes, the time has come,” he told a conference of press in Berlin.

Zelensky met with Western leaders and senior diplomats at the Ukraine Recovery Conference and discussed ways to boost support for his country.

During his speech to conference participants, Zelensky accused Russia of using energy as a weapon and deliberately targeting Ukraine's energy sector. He also called for more air defense systems to repel Russian attacks.

“Russian missile and drone strikes have already destroyed 9 GW of capacity, while peak energy consumption in Ukraine last winter was 18 GW. So half of it no longer exists,” he said.

Zelenskyy said Russian attacks destroyed eighty percent of Ukraine's thermal generation and a third of its hydroelectric generation.

“Putin is trying to refine the practice of destroying energy facilities – from thermal power plants and conventional dams to elements of the energy system such as gas storage facilities and interconnections linking our energy system to the European one,” he said. he declared.

Zelenskyy called for more support from European partners to support energy and infrastructure projects in his country.

“Therefore, everything that was rebuilt, repaired and protected in Ukraine will have a double effect: it will serve Ukraine and Europe, it will serve as the basis for energy supply for the next decades and it will also prove “Russia's arsenal will not retain weapons such as blackout,” he added.

Two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference brings together more than 2,000 participants from politics, business, civil society and municipalities to mobilize international support for stabilization Ukraine's economy, post-war recovery and reforms towards EU membership.

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