Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called today on NATO countries to provide his country with more "Patriot" systems. I don't want to spoil the holiday, but today I am here as Ukraine endures unprecedented missile and drone strikes from Russia, last night Kharkiv was hit by thousands of drones, he pointed out. Kuleba is visiting NATO on the day that marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the pact, BTA reports.
Russia is constantly destroying the Ukrainian economy and cities, this is part of the strategy to erase Ukraine from the world map. My main message today is about the need for "Patriot" complexes to save the lives of Ukrainians and protect Ukrainian cities, the allies have enough of such systems. In March alone, Ukraine was hit by 94 ballistic missiles, added Kuleba.
Ukraine will join the alliance and this has been clearly stated by the allies, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He added that a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council is coming up today and the possibilities for progress towards Ukraine's membership in the pact will be discussed.
Supporting Ukraine is not charity, it has to do with our own security. We discuss how to make support durable, sustainable and predictable. I pay tribute to the courage and determination of the Ukrainians and the Ukrainian armed forces, added Stoltenberg.