Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs more money, tougher sanctions and weapons production licences from Europe
At a press conference in Belgrade, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined what Europe could do to help Ukraine fight Russian forces more effectively, calling for more funding, stronger sanctions and faster licensing for weapons production.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference in Belgrade, was asked what Europe could do to help Ukraine eliminate more Russian servicemen. He responded by outlining several areas where European support needs to be strengthened.
Money must be used effectively
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs more financial support, but money alone is not enough — it must be directed properly and used to maximum effect. He noted that additional funding would allow Ukraine's defence industry to double its output, since the production capacity already exists.
Sanctions and defence against ballistics
The president thanked partners for the 21 sanctions packages imposed so far but said this is still insufficient. He pointed out that defending against ballistic weapons is currently Ukraine's top priority, noting that hundreds and thousands of components used in Russian ballistic weapons originate from countries across the world, including some of Ukraine's close partners. For this reason, he said, it is important to sanction Russian weapons manufacturers and Russia's energy sector, in order to prevent Russia from spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the war.
Licences for weapons production
Zelenskyy also stressed the need to grant Ukraine licences to produce weapons as quickly as possible — not only American models but also European ones.
On the financial side, it is worth noting that on 30 July the European Commission transferred a further €3.47 billion to Ukraine as part of the defence component of the €90 billion loan programme. The European Commission has indicated that Ukraine can expect at least one additional defence tranche in August.
