Schmihal said delays in the delivery of long-range artillery and missile equipment were “the main danger for us on the battlefield.”
Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal says Ukraine needs long-range missiles and other munitions to repel Russian forces, as Ukraine approaches its third year of war amid combat losses and a reduction in foreign aid. Ta.
Speaking during a visit to Japan on Tuesday, Shmyhal said Ukraine is fighting to NATO standards with modern equipment and trained soldiers, but it needs more long-range missiles for air defense against Russia on the front lines. He said that.
“Unfortunately, currently they are widespread in the air, and unfortunately this leads to some consequences from the front, but the supply of military equipment to Ukraine has not been refused by our partners. I have to say,” he said.
Shmyhal's comments came as ammunition shortages and limited personnel are causing significant losses for Ukraine on the battlefield.
On Sunday, Russian forces captured the city of Avdiivka, a key hub for accessing the Donbass industrial region, marking their biggest success since the fall of Bakhmut in May.
But aid from Western countries has faced pushback due to rising costs, and lawmakers in Washington continue to wrangle over how to provide military aid to Kiev.
If the $95 billion foreign aid package survives a vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, US media reports suggest President Joe Biden is considering introducing long-range ballistic missiles. These are weapons with longer ranges than any intermediate-range missiles launched by the United States to date. That would allow Ukraine to attack inside Crimea, which is effectively controlled by Russia.
The United States has so far provided Ukraine with about $111 billion, mostly arms but also equipment and humanitarian aid.
If Ukraine begins fielding F-16 jets later this year, “the situation on the battlefield will be balanced and it will be much easier for us,” Shmyhal said. But there is currently a continuing shortage of long-range artillery and missile equipment, and “if this is prevented or delayed, this is the main danger for us on the battlefield.”
Sweden announced on Tuesday it would provide $682 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine.
“The reason we continue to support Ukraine is a matter of humanity and decency. Russia has started an illegal and unwarranted war,” Defense Secretary Pal Johnson said at a news conference.
Mr. Shmihal had traveled to Tokyo to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the war dragged on and attention focused on the Gaza conflict. Prime Minister Kishida hopes to prolong the war and build momentum for global support for Ukraine.
Japan has focused on reconstruction assistance, partly due to constitutional restrictions on the provision of weapons.
Prime Minister Kishida promised long-term efforts to rebuild Ukraine the day before at a conference on economic growth.
During the meeting, Shmyhal also called for new sanctions against Russia following the death of prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The 47-year-old critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin died on Friday in a remote Russian prison. The situation remains uncertain. Mr. Navalny's death sparked global outrage, with many Western leaders, including Mr. Biden, blaming Mr. Putin.
“We are fighting for democratic values throughout the democratic world. This is an existential war of democracy against authoritarianism,” Schmihal told a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Germany, Lithuania and Sweden also called for new penalties against Moscow at a meeting of the European Union's top diplomats.
