The armed forces of Ukraine reported on Monday that there was an attack by Russian forces the previous night, involving 14 drone strikes and six missiles.

The Ukrainian air force reported that they successfully brought down nine out of the 14 drones with their air defense system. This happened in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk areas. Additionally, Ukraine was able to eliminate three of the missiles.

The most recent strikes occurred while European leaders were getting ready to convene in Paris on Monday in order to express their determination to Russian President Vladimir Putin and combat the Kremlin’s belief that Russia will ultimately emerge victorious in the ongoing three-year war, according to France.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has requested a meeting with his fellow European leaders at the Elysée Palace on short notice. His advisors attribute this to a recent increase in Russian aggression.

The U.S. representative for European and Eurasian affairs, Jim O’Brien, will attend on behalf of the United States while Canada will be represented by their Defense Minister, Bill Blair.

A presidential advisor from France stated in a briefing that we intend to communicate a strong message to Putin that he will not be successful in Ukraine.

The consultant stated that the upcoming meeting would not focus on announcing new weapon shipments to Ukraine. Instead, it will focus on finding ways to improve efficiency on the ground and enhance cooperation between allies and Ukraine.

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The provision of military assistance to Ukraine has been raised.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that their success in battling Russian invaders relies on assistance from western countries. He also expressed hope for the possibility of receiving long-range missiles from their allies and partners.

At a press conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy stated that he was confident the U.S. Congress would authorize a significant amount of military and financial aid. He emphasized that a decision needed to be made within a month.

The VOA inquired Zelenskyy about Ukraine’s chances of being invited to join NATO during the scheduled NATO summit in Washington in July.

My understanding is that all members of NATO are in favor of inviting Ukraine. It is also commonly agreed that Ukraine will eventually join NATO. However, the decision to extend this invitation is ultimately up to the United States and Germany, which is a known fact.

The United States and Germany are the leading providers of military and economic assistance to Ukraine. While both nations have expressed their backing for Ukraine’s membership in NATO, authorities have stated that the current moment may not be the appropriate timing.

In February, during a gathering of the NATO defense leaders in Brussels, NATO ambassador Julianne Smith stated that the alliance will not likely extend a membership invitation to Ukraine at the upcoming summit in July.

Smith expressed on February 13 that he does not anticipate receiving an invitation from the alliance at this time. However, he does expect the allies to show that they are getting closer to Ukraine and that tangible measures are being taken to act as a link between the current state and eventual full membership.

During his interview with VOA on Sunday, Zelenskyy was also questioned about the potential risks to global security if Ukraine is not extended an invitation to join the 31-member bloc this summer.

The speaker stated that they were unable to determine any potential risks associated with inviting Ukraine to join NATO. They also mentioned that the main risk could possibly be Putin’s unpredictable response, but overall they believed that extending the invitation did not pose any significant risks.

Peace summit

Zelenskyy expressed hope that a peace summit being planned by Switzerland will address Kyiv’s vision for ending the two-year war with Russia and that the outline of that peace plan would be presented to Russia.

“I am anticipating for it to occur during the upcoming spring season. It is crucial for us to not let go of this diplomatic opportunity,” he informed the press. “We will present a platform for Putin to acknowledge that he was defeated in this conflict and that it was an error on his part. A significant mistake.”

To date, the Kremlin has not responded to Zelenskyy’s statements. However, in the past, they have dismissed Kyiv’s peace proposal as unrealistic, as it did not involve Russia. The Kremlin also stated that there is currently no foundation for peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine.

One suggestion made by Andriy Yermak, who serves as Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, is for Ukraine and its international collaborators to consider inviting Russia to a future summit in order to negotiate an end to Moscow’s invasion on the terms set by Kyiv.

Zelenskyy’s proposed solution for peace involves reinstating Ukraine’s complete territory and the complete removal of Russian military forces.

Zelenskyy revealed for the first time that there were 31,000 Ukrainian military fatalities in the invasion. “It’s not 300,000, not 150,000… Still, this is a significant loss for us.”

He cautioned that Russia plans to launch counterattack operations in the beginning of summer, or by the end of May if possible, and emphasized the importance of Ukraine being prepared.

Zelenskyy stated that his nation is on the verge of a critical juncture.

“In the coming year, there will be elections, distractions, and a multitude of challenges both externally and internally. The outcome of the war will likely be determined by the events of this year,” he stated.

“This is a critical time for us to stay united. If we allow ourselves to be divided, we will be vulnerable from both external factors and possible internal conflicts. We must remain strong and united to avoid this outcome.”

The Ukrainian military suffers a setback in combat.

Ukraine initially experienced victories in resisting the Russian army, but has since encountered challenges on the battlegrounds of the east, resulting in the loss of the crucial city of Avdiivka.

Generals from Ukraine have expressed concerns about a lack of weapons and troops.

“At the moment, commitment does not constitute delivery,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Sunday during a forum in Kyiv dedicated to the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

According to Umerov, every postponed delivery of aid resulted in losses for Ukrainian troops, highlighting Russia’s strength in the military and aerial capabilities.

Umerov stated that our attention should be directed towards our adversaries, whose economy exceeds $2 trillion. They allocate up to 15% of their official and unofficial budget towards military actions, resulting in an annual expenditure of over $100 billion. This means that any delay in fulfilling our commitments can lead to casualties and territorial losses.

The current government under President Biden is requesting approximately $61 billion in assistance for Ukraine. However, due to the dominance of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, it has been unable to progress.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated that Ukraine has the capability to successfully prevail in the war with the appropriate resources. He urged the U.S. House of Representatives to approve the Ukraine aid package, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate.

Sullivan stated that it is the responsibility of House Speaker Mike Johnson to unite his caucus and bring the vote to the floor despite political divides.

Myroslava Gongadze, the Bureau Chief for Eastern Europe, provided contributions to this report. Additional information for this story was obtained from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Source: voanews.com