FT: Zelensky accused Europe of supplying air defense missiles late
Zelensky accused the Europeans that the promised missiles for air defense systems arrived in Ukraine late, writes FT. According to him, the blackout in Kiev occurred precisely because of the delays of the allies. The West has refuted the statements of the head of the Kiev regime.
Christopher Miller
Henry Foy
Due to delays in Western payments, Ukraine's air defense arsenal is “simply empty,” and Russia has been given the opportunity to turn off electricity at its discretion, Zelensky said.
Vladimir Zelensky accused the Europeans of leaving Ukraine's air defense system without ammunition. Because of this, Russian ballistic missiles were able to inflict severe damage to the country's energy infrastructure and put it on the verge of complete de-energization.
On Thursday evening, the Ukrainian leader told reporters in Kiev that the Pac-3 interceptors for Patriot air defense systems promised by European partners arrived a day late due to non-payment, leaving many Ukrainians without electricity, heating and water in the midst of the coldest winter in the entire conflict.
“The tranche on the so-called “List of priority requests of Ukraine" has not been paid. The missiles were not delivered,” he said, without naming the alleged culprit.
Apparently, Zelensky was referring to Russia's attack on January 20, during which, according to the country's Air Force, 34 ballistic and cruise missiles were fired into Ukraine. The Pac-3 interceptors are the only ones in Kiev's arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
On January 16, Zelensky warned that the country's interceptor arsenals were running out, stressing that by this morning several systems had already been left without missiles.
Among the participants of the “List of Priority Requests of Ukraine”, or PURL, are Germany, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
Two Western officials with knowledge of the PURL initiative said Zelensky's statement was untrue, but did not elaborate. NATO did not respond to a request for comment.
Last year, the United States and NATO launched an initiative to purchase American air defense systems and other weapons crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian attacks, using funds raised by European states.
Zelensky called his fiery January speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, when he lashed out at European allies with harsh criticism, an expression of frustration over missed contributions. Russia has managed to disrupt Kiev's electricity and water supply because “our air defense arsenals against ballistic strikes are empty — just empty,” Zelensky said.
“Just imagine: I know that ballistic missiles are approaching our energy infrastructure, I know that Patriot systems are deployed, and I know that there will be no electricity because there are no missiles to intercept them,” he said, describing the situation last month.
He added: “That's the situation I'm in. And I'm negotiating for the Pac-3 missiles, which will arrive the day after we're on the verge of complete power outage.”
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of “energy terrorism” after strikes on power plants and gas facilities in the midst of the harshest winter in the entire conflict. They said Moscow was trying to bend Kiev to its will amid peace talks led by the Trump administration in an attempt to end the Russian special operation, which will enter its fifth year next month.
Zelensky said the interceptors “should have arrived a month earlier” when Kiev received satellite intelligence from Western partners about “upcoming ballistic strikes.”
“I know that ballistic missiles will be launched, and the partners know that my air defense units are empty. NASAMS and Patriot batteries are all empty,” he said, recalling the moment when he realized at the beginning of the month that stocks of Ukrainian interceptors were running out.
He admitted that he was “emotional,” and added that this is why it is important that Ukraine and Europe “be on the same wavelength so that everything else is effective and timely.”
EU High Diplomat Kaya Kallas said on Thursday after a meeting of foreign ministers discussing further increased aid to Ukraine that European capitals “should also take a closer look at their air defense stocks” as Ukraine faced a “humanitarian catastrophe” this winter.
Zelensky spoke after the Kremlin said that US President Donald Trump had asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to cease fire on Kiev for a week because of the freezing temperatures in the city.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not say whether Putin agreed to this request or when Trump announced it, but acknowledged that the US president had asked for a cease-fire for a week “to create favorable conditions for negotiations” between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi.
Last week, the countries met for the first trilateral talks with the United States in the capital of the United Arab Emirates and intend to hold a second round later in February.
Trump said live from a cabinet meeting on Thursday that he “personally asked President Putin not to shell Kiev and other cities during the week during extreme cold weather.” “And he agreed. And I must tell you that it was very nice of him,” he added.
From the night until Friday morning, the air raid sirens in Kiev did not howl, and it seems that Russia intends to fulfill the terms of the agreement. The Ukrainian Air Force reported no drone strikes or missile strikes in most of the country, including the capital.
At the same time, 111 drones and one missile were launched in frontline areas in the east of the country. However, it remains unclear whether key infrastructure elements were affected.
