Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged American political leaders in Washington not to wait for the outcome of the presidential election in the United States in November to take decisive action to help his country against the Russian invasion, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
"Everyone is waiting for November. Americans are waiting for November, in Europe, in the Middle East, in the Pacific Ocean, the whole world has turned its eyes to November, and frankly, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is also waiting for November,'' Zelensky said, speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute. before the NATO summit.
"It is time to come out of the shadows, make firm decisions /.../ act, not wait for November or some other month,", he added.
Zelensky said he could not predict what Donald Trump would do if elected to a second term as US president in November, adding that he did not know Trump well but hoped America's support for Kiev would not changes.
"I don't know him very well. I do not know. "I had meetings with him and good meetings when he was president......but we didn't go through the war with him," Zelensky said, speaking in English without an interpreter, during an event at the "Ronald Reagan" Institute. in Washington. "I can't tell you what he's going to do, whether he's going to be president of the United States. I don't know".
Zelensky later thanked NATO allies, who pledged more air defenses to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian drone and missile attacks, DPA noted.
"I am grateful to our partners /.../ for the adopted decisive declaration in support of Ukraine's air defense system to protect its people, cities and critical infrastructure,'' he wrote in "X".
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At the official opening of the NATO high-level meeting in Washington, which was also attended by Zelensky, President Biden announced new military support for Ukraine.
"Russia will not win," the US president said emphatically in his long-awaited speech, after four months before the presidential election, questions arose about his ability to defend the political line of the democratic camp, notes France Presse.
"Additional Patriot, SAMP/T and IRIS-T SLM systems, as well as other tactical air defense systems provided to Ukraine by partners, will help us destroy Russian drones and missiles and protect more well, Ukrainians from Russian air terror, such as yesterday's brutal attack on our main children's hospital", noted Zelensky.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, the State Department announced, BTA reported.
The two discussed the ongoing work to bring Ukraine closer to membership in the alliance, including the reforms that the country needs to carry out. Another topic of conversation was support for Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian invasion and prevent future aggression.
Ukraine, which was attacked by neighboring Russia, will not receive an invitation for membership in Washington, but the allies will confirm their rapprochement with it and that its future is in NATO, said Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of the organization, in an interview with DPA a few days ago.< br />
An unnamed senior US government official said, quoted by Reuters, that the alliance would present a plan called the "Membership Bridge" of Ukraine, and will announce measures to strengthen the country's air defense.
Blinken and Kuleba discussed new actions taken by the Allies to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses.
They also discussed the allies' commitment to Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian invasion and prevent future aggression.
Dozens of people were killed in new Russian airstrikes in Ukraine yesterday - on the eve of the NATO summit.
Blinken and Kuleba also discussed energy security and G7 efforts to increase the resilience of the Ukrainian electricity system in the face of increasing Russian attacks on infrastructure.
The US Secretary of State congratulated the Ukrainian Foreign Minister for "historic support" at the Global Meeting held last month in Switzerland for peace in Ukraine and for the "heroic defense" against recent Russian offensives in the north and east.
Blinken reaffirmed the continued support of the United States for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.