"Russia has to lose": Zelenskyy talks about plans for the year to protect the sky

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in March Ukraine would receive more support, new security agreements, and arms supplies. According to the head of state, the key is that the aggressor country should lose, and Kyiv and its partners should restore security.

The President made the statement during his evening video address on Friday, March 1. In particular, Zelenskyy reminded that he and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had visited Kharkiv together.

"We visited our soldiers – the guys are recovering from their injuries. I had the honor to thank them and recognize them with state awards. I am grateful to every doctor, and to all our medical workers who save lives. This is the most honorable job," the President of Ukraine said.

He added that Kharkiv, which is subjected to brutal Russian shelling, now needs more protection. Therefore, Kyiv continues to work on strengthening its air defense.

"Together with Mark, we walked around Kharkiv – the places where Russian missiles hit. Ordinary houses are destroyed, the city's infrastructure is destroyed... It is important to make Kharkiv safer. We are working with all leaders to strengthen air defense here and for our other cities. The world has such potential, and we need sufficient joint determination to make Russian terror lose," Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State also said that following the meeting with Rutte, there is a new package of military support for our soldiers from the Netherlands.

"By the way, the Netherlands is actively helping us with air defense, with the F-16 coalition. This year, new fighters will be in our sky, and this year we must make it an effective one in protecting ourselves from Russian guided bombs, from Russian planes, from their missiles," Zelenskyy said.

He noted that Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held a special military briefing for Rutte on the situation at the front, on Ukraine's capabilities in active operations and defense in specific areas.

"Of course, we also talked about Kharkiv. I am grateful for the readiness of the Netherlands to continue to help. We signed a bilateral security agreement between our countries – security guarantees and security cooperation. This is the seventh such security agreement with our partners – a strong agreement," the President said.

As a result, Ukraine has a specific amount of military support per year – 2 billion euros, and there are also all the details of joint work in the defense sector, politics and to achieve justice, Zelenskyy said.

He added that the Netherlands supports the need to establish a special tribunal for Russian aggression, and also supports the work of Ukraine and its partners to bring all Russian war criminals to justice and strengthen sanctions against Russia for the war.

"And this is a really strong visit today. I am grateful to Mark personally and to all the people of the Netherlands for their support of Ukraine. We have already prepared active international work for March: there will be more support, we are preparing new security agreements, and there will be new agreements on weapons for our soldiers. The key is that Russia must lose, and our country and partners must restore security. We are doing everything for this," the President summarized.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

– On March 1, Rutte arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit. He met with President Zelenskyy in Kharkiv. The Ukrainian leader showed the houses damaged by the occupiers. The politicians paid tribute to the children killed by the aggressor. Since the beginning of the invasion, 87 children have been killed in the fighting in Kharkiv region, and 21 in the regional center.

– Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said that at this stage of training, Ukrainian pilots are practicing tactical techniques on F-16s, such as target practice. Engineers are also continuing their training on the maintenance of the fighters and weapons. The transition process cannot be quick: the program is designed to last at least two years, but the Ukrainian military is undergoing accelerated training.

– MP Oleksandra Ustynova warned that Ukraine could lose Kharkiv if it does not receive the F-16. According to her, the lack of support from the West was one of the reasons for the loss of Avdiivka.

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