Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Romania once again after President Klaus Iohannis promulgated, on Thursday, the law for donating a Patriot system to Ukraine, expressing his gratitude.
He urged other allies of Kiev to provide all the promised assistance in terms of anti-aircraft defense, as Ukraine must face increasingly intense and deadly attacks from Moscow, not only in the country’s east, but more and more frequently even in the west near Poland.
"Today, Romania has approved the decision to provide Ukraine with the Patriot system, and I express my sincere gratitude for this.
We also expect our partners to provide Ukraine with the entire air defense package and other types of assistance - exactly the package agreed upon at the NATO summit in Washington last July," wrote President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He mentioned Romania's help in a video address to compatriots on Thursday evening. "Romania has already made a clear decision regarding the Patriot system for Ukraine. This decision was made at all levels. I am grateful for it," said Zelensky.
On Tuesday, when the Romanian Parliament had approved the law, Zelensky also mentioned this in his daily address to compatriots and thanked Bucharest, saying: "We rely on the Patriot system, which Romania is preparing to transfer. I am grateful for this assistance from Romania. This is something that will truly support our people, our country, our entire region".
Last week, Ukraine criticized Romania for delaying the promised Patriot system delivery.
On Thursday, President Zelensky also announced that contacts with partners had been intensified to obtain new means to counter Russian aggression.
"The Ukrainian Minister of Defense had a series of meetings in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. We are in constant communication with our American partners and greatly appreciate our cooperation with Italy," Zelensky said.
"Also - he continued - we are well prepared for the upcoming Ramstein format meeting, which will take place soon. All agreements we reach with our partners must be implemented as quickly as possible.
"When decisions are made swiftly, Russia does not have time to adapt, and we achieve extremely valuable results. This applies to protecting our cities and communities against attacks, supporting our soldiers on the front line, and the resilience of our country and people," emphasized the Ukrainian president.