Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington.
Points of attention
- Zelenskyy presented Meloni with the Order of Freedom for her significant personal contribution to cooperation between Ukraine and Italy.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized expanding training programs for F-16 fighter pilots to counter Russian airstrikes.
- Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for air defence systems that helped protect the lives of Ukrainians from Russian attacks and called for new air defence systems to be delivered to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy and Meloni discussed the need for air defence for Ukraine
Within the framework of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Giorgia Meloni with the Order of Freedom for her significant personal contribution to strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Italy.
Zelenskyy told Maloney about the situation at the front, Russian aerial terror against Ukrainian cities, in particular about the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv.
The leaders discussed the main needs of Ukraine, primarily regarding air defense, the results of the first Peace Summit, as well as preparations for the second Summit and the next Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which will be held in Italy in 2025, the report says.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the results of the NATO summit in Washington.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Giorgia Meloni with the Order of Freedom for her significant personal contribution to strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Italy, supporting our state's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Zelenskyy called for expanding training missions for Ukrainian F-16 pilots
During his speech at the Ukraine-NATO Council, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasised the need to expand training programs for Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots.
At the Ukraine-NATO Council, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the need for a sufficient number of F-16 fighter jets to counter Russian airstrikes.
He noted that Russia uses about 300 combat aircraft, and Ukraine needs the same number. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to expand training missions for Ukrainian pilots.
We need enough F-16s. Russia uses about 300 combat aircraft; we need at least half of that. We also need to expand pilot training missions. At the current rate of delivery and training, how many years will we wait for half of the 300 aircraft? The war shouldn't last this long. And in the case of the F-16, it is not up to us.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
Also, during the speech, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for each air defence system that helps save Ukrainians' lives and for new deliveries of Patriot and other air defence systems. He emphasized that these systems must be delivered to Ukraine immediately to protect cities from Russian attacks.
