"This winter will be a big challenge for us. We are preparing, but we also need support to push Russia out of our country, to protect people, to protect energy networks," Zelensky said amidst the gathering of the Contact Group, involving nearly 50 countries deliberating on rearming Ukraine.
A subsequent NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, including defense ministers, is slated for the afternoon, with further isolated discussions among the allies.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, emphasized the necessity of anti-aircraft systems to safeguard Ukraine's infrastructure against possible Russian offensives. "Putin wants to use winter again as a weapon in this war, attacking energy systems, gas infrastructure. We have to prevent this from happening," Stoltenberg stated.
The damage to a gas pipeline spanning the Baltic Sea bed, linking Finland and Estonia, is also set to be discussed during the two-day defense ministers’ assembly.
Referencing a recent Hamas attack on Israel, Zelensky highlighted solidarity among nations at war. "We are a country that is fighting a war, and we understand very well the situation in which Israel finds itself. The most important thing for us in the first days of the war was to know that we are not alone," remarked the Ukrainian president.
In a related development on Wednesday, a US defense official revealed plans for a substantial USD 200m aid package for Ukraine, encompassing air defense missiles and munitions.
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Source: PAP, Reuters