President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that he expected much of a new Western defense package for Ukraine to be signed this month and next.
“We are preparing new agreements with our partners – strong bilateral agreements,” Ukraine's president said in a video address in the evening.
“January and February should bring corresponding results.'' Specific dates have already been set for when we can expect a new, stronger document. ”
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev's Western allies banded together to provide unprecedented military and other aid to help Zelenskiy defend his country.
But the influx of money and equipment has been slow in recent months as the war drags into its third year, with little change on the front line over the past 12 months and growing opposition to additional U.S. aid. .
Zelenskiy did not mention the names of the countries with which he is aiming for a final agreement. He has been engaged in a frenzy of international diplomacy for weeks in a bid to secure more political and military support.
He has often reiterated that Russia's increased winter airstrikes and its slow but harsh offensive in eastern Ukraine highlight the need to further strengthen Kiev's air and ground defenses. .
Britain, one of Kiev's most ardent supporters, announced this month that it would increase aid to Ukraine to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.19 billion) in the next financial year.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Paris would travel to Ukraine in February to finalize a bilateral security guarantee agreement that would provide more advanced weapons, including long-range cruise missiles.
