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Volodymyr Zelensky inspects a weapons shipment in August 2023
Photo: Ukrainian Presidentia / ZUMAPRESS.com / picture alliance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has shown himself open to offering future US weapons aid on credit. "We will accept every option," Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Ukrainian television.
With arms aid worth the equivalent of 40 billion euros, the USA is Ukraine's most important military ally in its defense against Russia's war of aggression. However, further arms aid is currently on hold due to a domestic political dispute between Democrats and Republicans in the US Parliament.
Ukraine has fallen behind on the battlefield and is losing ground to Russian occupying forces.
Idea comes from Donald Trump
According to Zelensky, there is no choice for Ukraine: it must accept every offer in order to win and survive. If he had to decide whether he would get the package on credit now or for free in a year, he would immediately take it on credit, said the Ukrainian head of state.
The idea of providing Ukraine with the weapons on credit came from former US President Donald Trump, who is aiming to return to the White House in November. His party, the Republicans, has been blocking the release of an arms package worth $60 billion to Ukraine for months.
The Ukrainian president also commented on other explosive topics in the interview. From his perspective, the country needs two dozen Patriot air defense systems to protect its own airspace against Russian missile and drone attacks.
In order to seal off the airspace, 25 systems, each with six to eight batteries, are needed, said Zelensky. "All of our partners know this very well, they even know the points where the corresponding systems should be placed." According to him, Patriots and analogous Western air defense systems - including the German Iris-T - have proven themselves excellently. He also warned of a deficit in anti-aircraft ammunition if Russia continued its air strikes at the same pace.
svs/dpa