Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy renewed an appeal to allies to take their support to the next level by supplying his country with advanced fighter jets to help repel Russia’s invasion.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy renewed an appeal to allies to take their support to the next level by supplying his country with advanced fighter jets to help repel Russia’s invasion.
In his evening address, Zelenskiy said an attack by what he called “Iranian drones” which killed two emergency workers on Monday showed that Ukraine urgently needs the modern combat aircraft that the US and its partners have so far declined to provide to compliment its air defenses.
“We will be able to fully protect the sky when the aviation taboo in relations with our partners is lifted,” Zelenskiy said. President Joe Biden has resisted sending Ukraine F-16 warplanes due to concerns the move could further escalate the war, and has highlighted other advanced weapons systems the US and its NATO allies have provided.
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(All times CET):
Russia Briefly Closes St. Petersburg Airport (10 a.m.)
Russian authorities briefly closed the international airport in St. Petersburg and the airspace in a radius of 200 kilometers (124 miles) around the city, citing an “unknown object,” state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Tass, another state news agency, later said the restrictions had been lifted. Flights were diverted, but no further details were provided.
Bakhmut Defense ‘Running Out of Options’ (8 p.m)
Ukraine’s defense of besieged Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region is running out of options, Zelenskiy said, after signaling last week his forces wouldn’t defend the city at any cost.
“The enemy is gradually destroying everything which can be used to protect our positions,” Zelenskiy said in his address, stopping short of announcing a pullout.
‘We Do Want Ukraine to Win’: US (6:36 p.m.)
The US has every intention of helping Ukraine to achieve victory over Russia even though the Biden administration has resisted demands to supply F-16s, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
“At no time have the Russians ever achieved air superiority over Ukraine,” Kirby said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Ukraine’s greatest need currently is for air defenses and a better capability for combined-arms maneuvers ahead of an expected counteroffensive in the spring, he said, adding that “we do want Ukraine to win.”
Yellen in Kyiv to Show US Support (5:16 p.m.)
A week after US President Joe Biden’s surprise visit, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived in Kyiv by train Monday under similar secrecy to emphasize Washington’s commitment to Ukraine.
She met Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and announced the disbursement of the first $1.25 billion in fresh economic assistance, out of a total $10 billion pledged by Biden’s administration.
Listen to our special conversations from last week marking one year of war, including our Twitter Space analyzing Zelenskiy’s press conference as it happened. We also discussed the military strategies of the war, the impact on energy and the environment, the effect of sanctions including on the wealth of Russia’s oligarchs and what the future holds for Ukrainian refugees.
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