MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2023) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he was returning back to Ukraine from his trip to European countries with new packages of military assistance after meeting with the leaders of Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
"We are returning home with new defense packages: more new and powerful weapons for the frontline, more protection for our people. More political support," Zelenskyy said in a video address.
The Ukrainian leader said he and his European counterparts coordinated their positions before upcoming international meetings, including the G7 summit in Japan's Hiroshima and the NATO summit in Vilnius.
"Our Peace Formula was discussed at all the meetings, and now there is more willingness of our partners to follow the Ukrainian formula. There is more support for our accession to the EU, more understanding that Ukraine's accession to NATO will happen, it is inevitable," Zelenskyy said.
During his visit to the UK on Monday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was not quite ready yet to start the counteroffensive that it has been touting since the winter and initially advertised as to be launched in the spring.
"We really need some more time. Not too much. We'll be ready," he told reporters to a question whether Ukraine could begin the operation until it received more advanced weapons.
From May 13-15, Zelenskyy visited Italy, Vatican City, Germany, France and the United Kingdom where he met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Pope Francis, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, respectively.
Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after the beginning of Russia's special operation in February 2022. Moscow has repeatedly warned against such supplies, saying they would prolong and escalate the conflict.
