Zelensky to ask G7 leaders for better and more weapons
By James C. Mckinley Jr.
KYIV – A day after a barrage of more than 80 Russian missiles hit Ukraine in the worst aerial attack since the war began in February, the leaders of the Group of 7 nations were expected to hold an emergency, virtual meeting Tuesday (11) to discuss how to respond to the escalating conflict.
The agenda for the meeting has not been made public, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear Monday (10) what he wants from the world’s seven wealthiest democracies: more and better air defence systems to thwart the kind of attack that devastated his country Monday. Moscow’s air attacks killed at least 14 and plunged much of Ukraine into a blackout.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been under pressure from pro-war hard-liners in Russia to take more aggressive action in Ukraine, said the missile barrage, which hit many schools, apartment buildings and other civilian targets, was in retaliation for Ukraine’s bomb attack that destroyed part of a strategic bridge linking occupied Crimea to Russia.
Putin asserted the bombing of the bridge was a terrorist act and promised “tough” and “proportionate” response if Ukraine tried to carry out other attacks that threaten Russia’s security.
The G-7 includes some of Ukraine’s biggest suppliers of arms and aid: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, Britain and Canada.
From the start of the war, Zelenskyy has pleaded for more air defence systems to stop Russian aerial attacks with missiles, drones and aircraft. Early on, he even pleaded with NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a request that was ignored because Western leaders were wary of provoking a wider war with Russia.
Zelenskyy said on Twitter that he had reiterated that message to President Joe Biden in a telephone call Monday. “Air defence is currently the No. 1 priority in our defence cooperation,” he wrote, adding that he was asking for “US leadership with the G7’s tough stance.”
For his part, Biden “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defence systems,” the White House said in a statement about the call.
Zelenskyy said he had made similar appeals to the British and Canadian prime ministers in telephone calls after the missile strikes. He told Prime Minister Liz Truss he was hoping that Britain would help rally support for Ukraine’s defence “in particular regarding the protection of our skies.”
Zelenskyy said he had spoken with Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, about calling the emergency meeting in response to Russia’s attacks. He also had a conversation with President Emmanuel Macron of France on “the strengthening of our air defence,” he said.
The G-7 has played a significant role, alongside NATO and the European Union, in isolating Russia and galvanizing support for Ukraine among industrialized democracies. In June, the group banned gold imports from Russia to choke off the flow of cash to Putin’s government and embraced a plan to cap the price of Russian oil exports.
Members of the group are also among the biggest suppliers of advanced weaponry to Ukraine, including air defence systems.
On Monday, the German defence minister promised to deliver the first of four modern IRIS-T air defence systems to Ukraine in “the coming days.” The government had promised four systems, which are designed to protect larger civilian areas from rocket attacks, in June.
The Pentagon said late last month that it would deliver two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, to Ukraine within the next two months. Six more of the systems are “longer-term” deliveries, the Defence Department has said. On Monday, Pentagon officials declined to specify when the NASAMS would arrive on the battlefield.
-New York Times
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