Thread by @ZelenskyyUa

Today, I addressed the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, or Ramstein meeting, expressing my gratitude to all of its nations for their tireless work and strong joint decisions they have made. I outlined our vision and priority defense needs as winter approaches.

Next Monday will mark the 600th day of our resistance to Russia's full-scale aggression. And today, no one can say for sure how many more days we will have to defend our independence and identity. But we can already state several things for sure.

First: Putin will not achieve getting Ukraine. Second: Russia can not afford a new arms race. And third: democracy can win this battle. It is necessary not only for our country, but for every nation, for the whole world. Our time is not the time for the slavery of nations.

Moscow's ambitions have never been limited to Ukraine. And we all want them to be defeated in Ukraine—as soon as possible—so that we don't have to look for shells and tanks for other countries in Europe, Asia, or Africa that the Russian dictator may try to turn into ruins or seize into his crazy empire or zone of influence.

I know that NATO is ready and capable of protecting its members from external aggression. May we never have to experience this in reality. I know what steps can protect Europe and the world from the spread of Russian aggression.

And I know what is needed to speed up the just end of this war – let me emphasize: a just end… Full protection of our sovereignty, full restoration of our territorial integrity, full guarantee of Ukraine’s security after the aggression.

We are in a special situation on the frontlines where it is important to put pressure. You all know the principles of effective defense: not leaving the enemy a chance to rest, recover, or choose other tactics. Russia has lost the initiative. We are putting pressure on it.

Ukrainian courage and your support determine what is happening on the battlefield and, most importantly, what will happen there. The occupiers are still trying to storm. Our defense and counter offensive are difficult – but it is Ukraine who determines the course of events.

Russia cannot handle this war on its own. You can see it. It needs Iran – Russia cannot succeed without “Shaheds” and other help. It needs North Korea. Just imagine – for the first time in its history, Moscow has gone to Pyongyang to bow down.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is escaping our naval drones and missiles. Traditional buyers of Russian weapons see how superior the weapons made by the free world and used by Ukrainians are. Russia is withdrawing from various geopolitical fractures in the world. It lacks its strength.

But at the same time, Russia still has enough resources to incite conflicts and turn them into full-scale tragedies. This is happening in the Sahel, and it can happen even more painfully in Israel and in the Middle East. We must not allow this to happen. We can prevent it!

We have to put even more pressure so that the Russian aggressor weakens faster and does not have time to adapt to our pressure. We need to make sure that Russia is heading for defeat and does not even attempt to claim anything else.

Last winter, Russia wanted to turn it into a weapon against us by destroying our power plants and supply network. I am grateful to every country, every leader who helped us with air defense and energy equipment. It really was a life-saver for our people.

This winter, Russia will try to repeat it, but with certain conclusions and greater terrorist efforts. Note that during the attack on Israel, terrorists targeted one of the largest power plants. Until last winter, when Russia did it, other terrorists hadn’t done so.

Our task now is to get through this winter. But the real power of this task is much greater than just getting through this winter. Air defense is a significant part of the answer to the question of when this war will end justly for Ukraine. I am confident that it will.

The protection of the sky is a guarantee that there will be normal life in the cities, economy, people, the functioning of our corridors in the Black Sea and the Danube region. It will ensure Russian jets will not approach our borders and solve the issue of Russian guided bombs.

We all need this kind of push now. A step forward in our defense. Air defense. For Ukraine, this will be a victory of life. It is vital. For Russia, it will be a failure of its key strategy – the strategy of terror, what will it have left but this?

We need to protect people. We need the opportunity to live and accumulate economic activity. We need normal exports. Grain is the key to global food security – Ukrainian grain. Then there is metallurgy. Other goods of our exports. It is the economic basis of life.

We need children to be able to study at schools, not online. And we need people to live not only from one air alarm to another, but based on their plans for days, weeks, and months. When this happens, millions of our people will start to come back from abroad.

The stronger we are socially and economically, the more powerful we will get militarily. We will be able to ensure the work of a greater capacity of defense industries in Ukraine, depend much less on the assistance, and provide more support to the front line.

We must win the winter battle against terror. We can win it. And along with it, we can win the battle for how and on whose terms this war will end. Ukraine can survive. It will survive. However, it is important to take the weapons out of the hands of our enemy.

What are Russia's strengths? Only the fact that they can destroy lives. Russia is not capable of doing anything else. Is Russia a security donor? No. A supporter of development? No. A political pole? No. A source of economic growth? No. A terrorist? Yes. That is the only thing!

The answer is air defense and other types of weapons, the list of which we will share with you. Please, remember that this will not only help to bring a just end to the war for us, but also keep the war away from you, your borders, and the borders of allies.

Terrorists like Putin or Hamas seek to hold free and democratic nations as hostages. And they want power over those who seek freedom. The terrorists will not change. They just must lose. And that means we must win.

Victory requires patience. It requires steady and continuous support. We need to take the right steps. Steps that save lives. For real. Vital steps. And strengthen the defense. Significantly. Air defense is a must. Let’s work together to bring the victory closer!