I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!
It has been a long day. I’ve been in constant contact with our military during the massive Russian strike last night and afterwards throughout the day. Over four hundred Russian drones were launched, mostly “shaheds,” and more than forty missiles of various types, including ballistic ones. Fortunately, Ukrainian forces shot down the majority of them. I thank each of our units. Yet, sadly, there were still hits, and infrastructure was damaged in different regions, including ordinary homes. Since 1 a.m., our military tracked the movement of Russian drones toward the Polish border. And this movement was not an accident or a mistake – it was deliberate. The Russians used both Ukrainian and Belarusian territory to enter Polish airspace. Almost two dozen drones entered Poland, and it seems that less than half of the total number came from the Ukrainian side. This was a calculated Russian activity. And we all saw the result – how difficult it was to counter. Ukraine offered Poland the necessary assistance in responding. No one can guarantee that there won’t be hundreds of drones if there are already dozens. Only united European forces can give real protection. We are ready to assist with technology, crew training, and the necessary intelligence. But so far, Russia has not yet faced a tough reaction from global leaders to what the Russians are doing – a reaction precisely with actions. There are more than enough statements, but there is still a shortage of actions. The Russians are testing the limits of what is possible. They are testing reactions. They are watching closely how NATO armed forces act: what they can do and what they cannot do yet. Joint Russian–Belarusian exercises have now begun on Belarusian territory. And this may well be part of their “training plan”, so to speak. We also see the Russian disinformation campaign targeting both Poland and Ukraine. We see how the Russians are trying to humiliate Poland. That’s why strong countermeasures are vital, done in the right way. Ukraine proposes to defend airspace in a coordinated, thoughtful and joint manner. We have presented to our partners how this can be achieved. The details are clear – how to prevent the war from expanding and how to stop Russia’s escalatory steps. There are absolutely enough joint forces for this. There is a lot of international work on this today among all leaders. I thank every leader who has supported Poland, who supports Ukraine, who understands the threat to countries on the eastern flank, and that it is drones that Russia now employs as its key weapon for killing and destabilizing. Still, the missile threat has not lessened. Russia continues to expand its military-industrial capacity. We discussed all this with European leaders, including Polish Prime Minister Tusk, UK Prime Minister Starmer, Italian Council of Ministers President Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Rutte. It is important to continue coordinating. We agreed that our military and representatives from the Ukrainian and Polish Ministries of Defense will meet soon. I instructed our military to present all the experience we have in countering drones.
I also spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Today she presented the fundamental priorities of the European Commission, and it is important that Europe will be even stronger. Among many things is funding for defense, including 6 billion euro for drones for Ukraine. This is a significant support for us. We are counting on the SAFE instrument, a large EU defense program, in which Ukraine should be a full participant. I want to express particular gratitude to Ursula for her readiness to help us with very sensitive social issues, namely, funding for Ukrainian children – for school meals, free meals for all our children. Gradually, this year, we will do everything to fully fund this school program.
And one more thing.
I am expecting a detailed report from Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal, regarding Ramstein. I have been in contact with him today. There are results regarding new air defense systems for Ukraine. There is readiness from partners to continue funding the PURL program – for the procurement of U.S. weapons. We are also discussing additional funds for the production of our Ukrainian weapons – including long-range drones – so that Russia feels what a response to the war looks like. We are also working on equipping our brigades.
I thank everyone who is helping us. I thank everyone who understands that Russia only listens to strength and takes only the strong into account. Ukraine, all of Europe, all our partners must be strong. And we are very much counting on a strong response from the United States.
Glory to Ukraine!
