Gints Amoliņš questioned Dmytro Kuleba about the defense of Ukraine, arms supplies to the front and the situation of the Western defense sector.
Gints Amoliņš: This week, after half a year of waiting, the US finally approved the aid package. Is help already on its way to the front lines?
Dmytro Kuleba: As far as I know, yes. The aid was prepared before the decision was made, before the political announcement. I am not informed if physically the movement has already started, but it most likely has.
However, you yourself have mentioned that Ukraine will need further help from Western partners.
Yes, we are fighting a war of a scale that requires a united front of all foreign partners who care not only about Ukraine, but also about maintaining world order. And so it goes without saying that the US is the leader of the free world and of this global coalition supporting Ukraine, but
The US cannot be the only one to bear the burden. And that’s why it’s so important that Germany has significantly increased its support and become the second largest donor of military aid after the United States.
And also that other countries are still increasing their support. Because we can only prevail if we continue to be united and steadfast.
Photo: Ingus Graudiņš / Latvian Television
You have said that Western countries still have some work to do to strengthen their military sector. To produce more armaments. Is there still a long way to go?
Currently, the West is losing the defense industry race because Russia has already established an effective defense industrial base. The West is still on the way to developing it. Therefore, this process needs to be accelerated.
Ukraine’s air defense is one of the main factors in aid packages. As far as I understand, there have been difficulties with air defense recently. For example, Kharkiv is suffering a lot. Are you working to find more Patriot systems in other countries?
It is not a difficulty. It is a tragedy unfolding before our eyes. If we had all the air defense systems we needed, we would have saved lives and our economy from destruction.
The pro-Ukraine coalition can afford to provide Ukraine with at least seven more Patriot batteries that Ukraine has requested. We emphasize that we need these seven batteries now. And then in the medium term we can work on additional deliveries.
Germany has already decided to supply the anti-aircraft battery, but other countries should follow. And I would like to emphasize again that they have this capacity.
We know perfectly well where these available anti-aircraft systems are. We know who is talking to whom. But the time has come to end the discussions and make decisions. Those who hesitate to make decisions about providing Ukraine with Patriot systems will be responsible for every future death and destruction in Ukraine.
