President Volodymyr Zelensky Says Ukraine's Defenses Will Be Strong As Israel
Tel Aviv - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that after winning the war against Russia, Ukraine will work to become a real European country. However, the difference is that the security and defense systems will be stronger, similar to Israel's.
He said the country going forward will be more liberal than before in many ways. Zelensky noted that many Ukrainians have learned how to repel aggressors. In the future, Ukraine will seek to expand the participation of Ukrainian citizens in national defense.
Quoted from Ukrayinska Pravda, Zelensky said this concerns not only our border security, but also internal security. With neighbors like ours, we can expect bombings, cruise missiles, and who knows what else all the time. So our country's air defense system needs to be improved. We will build a European country, which will become a member of the European Union. But with a defense system as strong as Israel's.
On Thursday, Zelensky expressed his frustration at Israel for refusing to impose sanctions on Russia. The frustration was conveyed in a video speech for an event at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Zelenksy, who has family in Israel and visited the country several times, said he had struggled to understand the Jewish state's soft approach to Russia. I thank you for your sincere and emotional support to the Ukrainian people... but we also want to get support from your government," he added. The Israeli government and major rescue organizations have sent humanitarian and medical aid to Ukraine, but weapons supplies remain unavailable. .
Zelensky also recalled the historical ties between Ukraine and Israel, a message he emphasized in a March speech to Israeli lawmakers. In Thursday's speech, Zelensky noted that former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir's childhood home in Kiev was five minutes from his presidential office.
"Please remember how much we bond, how close our bond is, what should be the level of understanding between us," he said. "Why we have this miscommunication, misunderstanding with government representatives, I don't know."
Israel has so far pursued a cautious diplomatic path in the Ukraine conflict in part to safeguard Russia's cooperation in Syria, where Israel regularly carries out air strikes with tacit acceptance from Moscow, which has troops in the country.