Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Western leaders for sending tanks to support the fight against Russia but said they needed to be delivered quickly.
In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelensky also urged the West to also send long-range missiles and fighter jets.
His comments came after the US and Germany announced they would send Abrams and Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Russia condemned the announcement as a “blatant provocation” and said any supplied tanks would be destroyed.
Zelensky said he told Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg that progress must be made in other aspects of defence co-operation- with Ukraine seeking supplies of long-range missiles and artillery.
He also pressed for not just the prompt delivery of Western tanks but also in significant numbers while Zelensky is expected to focus now on equipping the Ukrainian air force with more technologically advanced fighter jets after securing the tanks, many Western governments remain opposed to such a move fearing the aircraft could be used to strike targets inside Russia.
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In his speech to the Bundestag in Berlin on Wednesday outlining the details of the tanks plan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted “there will be no fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine”.
US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the US will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine.
The decision to deliver the tanks was announced just hours after Germany said it would send 14 of its Leopard 2s to the Ukrainian battlefield.
Berlin also cleared the way for other European countries to donate German-made tanks from their own stocks.
Ukraine has lobbied Western allies to send the equipment for months.
Editor:Oloyede Oworu
