Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the 24th Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany today, to complain about the restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range weapons in Russia and the slowness of the delivery of weapons supplies to Ukraine. “Now we hear that your long-range policy has not changed, but we see changes in the ATACMS, Storm Shadows and Scalps—a shortage of missiles and cooperation,” he said, reported The Telegraph. He said the shortages now “applies even to our own territory, which is occupied by Russia, including Crimea.” He added: “We think it is wrong that there are such steps. We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace.”
The defense ministers of Lithuania and Canada stepped in to support Zelenskyy. “I hope it will help to convince other countries,” said Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas. Canadian Defense Secretary Bill Blair echoed him.” We support their request for permission, but it’s still a decision of our allies,” he said.
But U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remained unmoved. “I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive and I stand by that comment,” Austin said. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he said, after the meeting.
