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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the formation by Ukraine’s Western allies of a 20-nation “air defense development coalition.”
Air defenses are seen as a key element in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian forces.
Zelenskyy said the group was formed at a virtual meeting of the “Ramstein group” examining Ukraine’s military needs.
Germany’s Defense Ministry had earlier announced the formation of the group in a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, with Germany and France taking on leading roles.
“Thanks to every country participating in these efforts for enabling our cities and villages to be better protected against Russian attacks,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
“Not everything can be disclosed publicly at this time, but the Ukrainian air shield is becoming stronger every month.”
Zelenskyy has long pointed to the importance of improved air defenses to keep Ukrainian cities safe from Russian air strikes.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also noted other assistance agreed by participants.
It included a German air defense package announced this week during a visit to Kyiv by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, as well as a Dutch package and Estonian financing for help with information technology.
sri/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)
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