L to R: Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine President Voloydmyr Zelensky, France President Emmanuel Macron, and Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the grounds of the Mariynsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 10, 2025 (Ludovic Marin/AP)

Sunday’s Coverage: Kyiv — Russia Accepts Security Guarantees

Looking to build on Europe’s support for Ukraine’s resistance of Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized Kyiv’s contribution to defense of the continent.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky used the Israel-US war on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation to aruge:

The situation in the Middle East shows how difficult it is to provide 100% protection against missiles and “Shahed” [Iran-made attack] drones. Even in the Gulf countries, which have more advanced air defense systems than those provided to us so far by our partners and have them in larger quantities, not all ballistic missiles are intercepted.

He asserted, “Everyone can now see that Ukraine’s experience in defense is, in many respects, irreplaceable.”

We are ready to work on developing Europe’s shared defensive capabilities. Europe must have enough air defense missiles, enough experience in shooting down drones, and sufficient production of modern interceptor drones. Together, we can make this happen.

In the past month, Ukraine has launched joint drone production projects with Germany, France, and the UK. Zelensky aims to have 10 confirmed initiatives in 2026.