Ukraine Expects Long-range Attack Support, President Zelensky: So Russia Wants To Make Peace

President Zelensky while attending a Ramstein Contact Group meeting in Germany. (Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies on Friday to ignore Moscow's "red line", allowing Kyiv to use long-range weapons to attack Russian territory, while Washington promises another armament aid to Ukraine worth $250 million.

President Zelensky first appeared at a routine meeting of US-organized Ukrainian allies at Ramstein Air Base (Ramstein Contact Group), Germany and sought to convey the option of long-range attacks as another way to pressure Russia to end the 2.5-year invasion.

He spoke at a high-risk time for Ukrainian troops, who launched a surprise attack on Russia's Kursk territory, as Moscow forces focused on capturing Pokrovsk City in eastern Ukraine, the main logistics hub for the Kyiv war effort.

"We need to have this long-range capability not only in occupied Ukrainian territory, but also in Russian territory, yes, so Russia is motivated to seek peace," President Zelensky said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pointed to Kursk's attack as an example of how Ukraine seeks to seize battlefield initiatives.

"The Kremlin's aggression army is now in a defensive position on its own territory," said Defense Secretary Austin.

However, Austin's statement appears to be more focused on broader Western efforts to support Ukraine's campaign to expel Russian troops from its territory, including the announcement of $250 million worth of security assistance.

"The hatred (President of Russia Vladimir) Putin is deeply deepening. Moscow continues its attack on eastern Ukraine, especially around Pokrovsk," said Defense Secretary Austin.

"Putin put his troops back in Kursk. And the Kremlin continues to bombard Ukrainian cities and target Ukrainian civilians," he said.

Defense Secretary Austin said statistics underscoring the number of war victims against Russian troops, estimated more than 350,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured.

He said Ukrainian troops had sunk, destroyed, or damaged 32 Russian Navy ships and pushed Russia's Black Sea Fleet further east.

President Zelensky said about 6,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured in the Ukraine Kursk attack.

"Today we control an area of more than 1,300 square kilometers in the Kursk region and this includes 100 settlements," President Zelensky said, adding most of the region had been abandoned by Russian troops.

"They immediately fled when they saw our troops approaching," he said.

On the other hand, Moscow has also hit cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones in some of its biggest attacks since the start of the war, prompting President Zelensky to urge representatives from dozens of countries attending the Ramstein forum to keep promises to supply Kyiv with more means to fend off airstrikes.

"The number of air defense systems that have not been delivered is significant," President Zelensky said.