Zelensky: all weapons supplied by Western partners to Ukraine are for protection

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that all weapons supplied by Western partners to Ukraine are necessary for protection.

“After part of our territories was occupied, we increase the level of our defense capability and the capabilities of our army. We fundamentally understand what we need. I am not ready to speak publicly today about what and with which country we negotiate in detail and what we get. It is very important for us that all these weapons are all for protection. We think only about peace. We think only about the de-occupation of territories and only through diplomacy," Zelensky said in Kyiv on Wednesday at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.

He also said that Ukraine would no longer give up a single piece of its territory.

"That's why we have prepared a separate list of what our army needs," he said, recalling the signing of a decree to increase the size of the Ukrainian army by 100,000 people over three years and increase their benefits.

"I believe that we will do it faster, increase our professional contract army... These are understandable steps, because this question is about containment, except for the diplomatic steps that are taken not only by us, but also by the leaders of European states. They communicate with the Russian Federation in various other formats, and prepare a list of important sanctions," he said.

As Zelensky noted, there is a divergence of views on the issue of sanctions "among the people of Ukraine and some European leaders."

"We are talking about preventive steps, we know that the world leaders are divided. Some say that these should be partially preventive sanctions, others - that in the event of increased escalation from the Russian Federation, but the dialogue is ongoing," the president said.