Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to NATO leaders on Thursday to increase military support for his country against Russian forces that he warned would next target alliance members in eastern Europe including Poland, according to Reuters.
Addressing a NATO summit in Brussels, Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed fighter jets, tanks, anti-ship weapons and improved air defence to repel Russian troops as the war enters its second month.
“I am sure you understand that Russia has no intention of stopping in Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said in a video address that was released by the Ukrainian presidency.
“It wants to go further. Against eastern members of NATO. The Baltic states. Poland for sure.”
While NATO is expected to step up support for Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance will not send troops or planes to Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said he was grateful for the support Ukraine had received from individual NATO member states.
“But NATO has yet to show what the alliance can do to save people,” he said. “It feels like we’re in the grey zone between the West and Russia, but we’re protecting all our and your shared values.”
“The alliance can still prevent the deaths of Ukrainians from Russian strikes, from Russian occupation by giving us all the weapons we need.”