Following NATO's decision to further strengthen Ukraine's air defences, President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed reserved satisfaction.
"We in Ukraine appreciate the efforts of every leader, every state that is really active, keeps its promises and tries to improve the capabilities of our air defence," Zelensky said on Friday evening in his daily video address, which was unusually brief.
NATO allies are to give more air-defence systems to Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Friday, after a crisis meeting via videolink with defence ministers and Zelensky.
NATO has "mapped out existing capabilities" from alliance countries that can be given to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said in a press conference after the meeting.
The alliance secretary general also mentioned that "several allies made concrete commitments" to send further air-defence weapons for Ukraine.
Stotlenberg declined to give further details about what "existing capabilities" were identified as this was classified information. He did say however that the "mapping confirms that there are systems, including Patriot systems, available to be provided to Ukraine."
Concrete announcements are to be made by individual member states in the coming days. According to Stoltenberg, countries that do not have any available air-defence systems themselves have agreed to provide financial support for the purchase of systems for Ukraine.
Only last weekend, Berlin had promised Ukraine the delivery of a third Patriot air-defence system from German stocks.
"Ukraine needs air defence, and our partners can help," said Zelensky. "We need artillery, and the world has it." Only a sufficient number of air defence systems and fighter aircraft could protect Ukraine from Russian airstrikes, he added. "Solutions are necessary, solutions are possible."
The NATO-Ukraine Council meeting was convened at the request of Zelensky, with Ukraine concerned whether it can hold the front line against increased Russian military pressure.
In recent weeks, Russia destroyed almost all of Ukraine's thermal power plans with airstrikes, Zelensky said ahead of the meeting.
In the talks Zelensky also pushed for additional weapons, artillery shells, vehicles and drones for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Stoltenberg repeated his message to allies that in the current battlefield situation in Ukraine, it is more important to help Kiev than to fulfil alliance targets for the provision of weapons and ammunition.
"Allies must dig deep into the inventories and speed up the delivery of missiles, artillery and ammunition," he said.
"Ukraine is using the weapons we provided to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer. So support to Ukraine is not charity. It is an investment in our own security," he added.
According to information provided by Zelensky at the beginning of April, 25 Patriot air-defence missile systems, each with six to eight launchers or comparable equipment, would be needed to fully protect Ukrainian airspace. Alternatives include systems such as the Iris-T, SAMP/T and NASAMS.
