Sibiga explained what specific support Ukraine expects from the West

Ukraine is counting on specific solutions from its Western allies to help in the war against Russia. This includes long-range strikes, shooting down Russian drones and missiles, building up the “defense” and supplying air defense systems.

This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga in response to a question from an RBC-Ukraine correspondent during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock.

“The assistance of the West, our closest allies, is not about charity, it is an investment in our common transatlantic security. It is very important that the steps to be taken are taken in a timely manner. It is important that we do not allow the loss of our territories and do not lose our people, that we become self-sufficient in some areas,” Sibiga said.

Therefore, in his opinion, it is important to convert these decisions into specific positions.

“They are very clear, and we bring them to the capitals of our allies every day,” the minister said.

The first decision, according to Sibiga, is the lifting of any restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against military targets in Russia. After all, “this is our just right.”

“The second is to shoot down Russian drones and missiles over the territory of Ukraine by air defense systems of neighboring states. Russia is provoking and testing the reaction of NATO countries, testing NATO systems. Our proposal and call is to finally make this decision,” the Foreign Minister added.

The next decision, according to the minister, is to assist and build up Ukraine's defense capabilities and defense industry.

“This has been said many times, but I will repeat it: Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been able to increase its own production of various types of weapons by 6 times. This is also about time and saving our allies' money, because scaling up our production will help us become stronger and more self-sufficient, and will save our allies' money,” Sibiga said.

He also emphasized that air defense remains a fundamental priority for Ukraine.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 05/11/2024