Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to expedite deliveries of interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s air defense. The conversation took place in Paris on the sidelines of a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, amid intensifying Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
„We need to work toward peace, but at the same time we must continue to put pressure on Russia,“ Sybiha told Reuters. According to him, Kyiv has requested additional support for the energy grid and more interceptors for air defense systems.
„I raised the question of how we can accelerate some of the deliveries, how we can find the right way to bring forward certain quantities, and how we can secure additional deliveries,“ the Ukrainian minister said.
Kyiv calls for support ahead of winter
Sybiha said that Russia is intensifying its strikes on energy facilities as winter approaches and is attempting to break the spirit of the Ukrainian population. He confirmed that the exchange of intelligence between the United States and Ukraine is continuing, as is military assistance under the PURL program, through which weapons are provided to Kyiv.
The US State Department said that Rubio and Sybiha had discussed negotiations to end the war, the resilience of Ukraine’s energy sector, and defense cooperation. Following the meeting, no new US military aid package or specific schedule for additional missile deliveries was announced.
Ukraine awaits response on a ceasefire
Sybiha said that Kyiv was ready to discuss limited measures to reduce tensions, including a ceasefire in the Black Sea and a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure.
According to him, the proposals for a ceasefire in the Black Sea had been conveyed to Moscow through Turkey, Egypt, and India. Ukraine is still awaiting a response from Russia, but Sybiha said he was not optimistic about rapid progress.
Alongside the talks in Paris, US-backed diplomatic contacts between representatives of Ukraine and Russia are taking place in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv insists that diplomatic efforts should continue, but also that pressure on Moscow should be maintained as Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system continue.
Sources: marketscreener.com, apnews.com