The US and NATO are providing more air defense equipment to Ukraine

The Ukrainian president described the deal as “ambitious”. “It is appropriate to protect the lives of our people and resist Russian evil,” Zelensky said. The agreement envisages creating a mechanism to “shoot down Russian missiles and drones fired at Poland in Ukrainian airspace.”

The agreement also states that Poland is exploring the possibility of supplying Ukraine with additional MiG-29 fighter jets. The country has already delivered ten such machines to Kyiv. According to Ukrainian media, there will now be 14 more jets. However, Tusk insisted A prerequisite is that Poland receives sufficient replacements for fighter jets from Western allies.

Poland should encourage Ukrainian citizens living on its territory to join the army in their home country. Zelensky said that a unit of Ukrainian volunteers would be formed and trained in Poland and would fight in Ukraine. He spoke of the “Ukrainian Legion”. Later in the afternoon, the Ukrainian head of state met with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

Zelensky arrived in Poland on the day of heavy Russian missile attacks on his country that killed at least 26 people. A large children’s hospital in Kiev was attacked. “There are no words, no documents, no political statements sufficient to condemn the aggressor,” Tusk said.

Ukraine has so far agreed defense agreements with the European Union and 19 individual countries, including the United States, Japan and Germany. These formalize the support already provided in the military and civilian areas and provide for an initial ten-year period of further assistance. (sda/dpa)