Zelensky calls on European countries to develop air defence after recent Russian attack

In a post on social networks on September 16th, Zelensky said Russian missiles “intended to terrorise our people”, damaging “many residential buildings”.

He added that since the beginning of September, Moscow has issued over 3,500 fears and nearly 190 rockets, as well as over 2,500 air bombs, against targets within Ukraine and carried out “approvals on our partners”.

This is exactly the kind of air terror against which Ukraine requires common protection so that no one is forced to rush combat aircraft and feel Russia's pressure at its 11x1> borders, Zelensky wrote.

“Now is the time to implement the common defense of the European sky with a multiple air protection system. All technologies for this already exist. What is needed are investments and determination ʹ strong actions and decisions by all our partners”.

The issue of neutralising Russian fears, which have increased significantly over the more than three years of war, has received new attention as over a dozen Russian drones penetrated Poland last week, while another violation of NATO airspace was registered in Romania.

In the annual speech to “The State of the Union”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the need for increased fear protection, announcing a 6 billion-euro loan to join a <x2-seconds of fears” with Ukraine.

It also suggested an initiative called “Eastern Flank Watch”, which will provide “space-time spatial surveillance” from Baltic to the Black Sea.

Von der Leyen also pledged the construction of a <x0mor muse” something her Commission had refused to finance earlier this year, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sought funds for such a project.

Details for this initiative remain unclear: there are no concrete figures for the budget, nor precise geographical expansion, except that the European Commission is expected to present a new plan for joint defence projects in October.

“in these border states we need to create a threat plant together with Ukraine and include it in this project”, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrews Kublius, told the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform on 15 September.

Earlier, on September 16th, Zelensky said in an interview for Sky News that a clear “position is needed by US President Donald Trump for Russian Day sanctions and security guarantees for Ukraine.

He called on Trump, who is launching an official visit to Britain, to take strong personal steps “to “to stop Putin”.

I believe that the US is strong enough to make its own decisions... I believe Donald Trump can offer us air protection systems in quantity, and the US has enough”, Zelensky said.

I am convinced that the US can impose sufficient sanctions to damage the Russian economy, and that Donald Trump has the strength to make Putin afraid of him. Europe has already adopted 18 sanctions packages against Russia. What is now missing is a powerful package of sanctions from the US”.

EU officials said on September 16th that the 19th package of sanctions against Russia would be delayed, as Trump urged Europe to stop buying Russian oil and gas more quickly.

Washington announced it would postpone setting additional tariffs for countries like China to stop buying Russian oil.

The new EU measures against Russia, due to its full aggression against Ukraine, are expected to target more banks -- the so-called “shadow float of the Kremlin carrying oil to avoid sanctions, third-nation companies, as well as some individuals, especially those considered responsible for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. / REL