Zelenskyy underlined that his country is making enormous sacrifices to hold Russia at bay, and reiterated his call for more and speedier arms deliveries from its allies. A particular sore point is delays in missiles for air defense systems while Russia pounds critical power and heating plants during a freezing winter.
Ukraine is also hitting targets deep in Russia, and Zelenskyy noted that is what seems to make Russia more serious about peace negotiations. “The stronger we are, the more realistic peace becomes,” he said.
Zelenskyy has continued to push hard at Munich for Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. During a meeting with American senators, the Ukrainian president told them the missiles could help Kyiv strike targets deep inside Russia.
The meeting covered “what the front line status currently is with Russian losses, and what the Russians need to do, if they want to move the line of contact forward,” Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, told POLITICO.
On Friday, Senator Lindsey Graham, who led the Senate’s delegation to Munich, said Kyiv needs the long-range missiles to force Putin to the negotiating table.
“I’ll be pushing the Tomahawks,” Graham, the Senate Budget Committee chair, said Friday at the POLITICO Pub at the summit.