Zelensky makes urgent call for anti-missile system after Russian strikes kill 50 in Kiev in July

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a speech at the NATO summit on July 7, 2026.
REUTERS/Yves Herman
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Tuesday (7) that Europe "urgently" needs an air defense system to repel air attacks from Russia.
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"Europe needs an affordable, mass-produced anti-ballistic system as soon as possible. In fact, today," he said.
Zelensky's speech at the start of the North Atlantic Military Alliance (NATO) summit comes amid a shortage of Ukrainian air defenses in the 5th year of the war against Russia.
In recent days, Moscow has intensified bombings against Kiev, and Ukraine was unable to shoot down any of the Russian missiles in an attack this week that caused the death of 22 people. There have already been 50 deaths in the Ukrainian capital in July alone.
The NATO summit is taking place in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and will be attended by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He has been pressuring member countries of the military alliance to assume a greater share of joint defense spending, which has caused internal tensions within the bloc.
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In response to the pressure, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced this Tuesday new arms purchase agreements (read more below).
On Monday (6), Zelensky complained about the lack of American Patriot defense systems promised by the West.
The Patriot is a mobile surface-to-air missile system developed and manufactured by American military equipment giant Raytheon Technologies. It is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the US arsenal and has been in operation since the 1980s, with numerous upgrades over the years.
Zelensky said he will discuss this urgent need for air defenses in Ukraine with Trump during a bilateral meeting between the two on Wednesday. The Ukrainian leader also said at the NATO summit that it is necessary to increase pressure against Russia in the form of ballistic missiles, air defenses and sanctions against Moscow.
Residential building is destroyed after Russian attack on Kiev.
AP/Efrem Lukatsky
NATO presents arms purchase agreements
NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Foundation, in Washington D.C., in the United States, on April 9, 2026.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Leaders of the Western military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began announcing arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars in Turkey on Tuesday, reinforcing the message that they are heeding calls from the United States to increase defense spending in Europe ahead of a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
To the sounds of upbeat music and well-produced videos at an industry forum defense in the capital Ankara, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a series of initiatives, inviting a list of representatives from NATO member countries to take the stage. The total value of the various agreements was projected on a screen.
"We can do more when we act together. And we need to do more of that," Rutte said. "NATO allies are joining new multinational acquisition coalitions. This really helps us get more of what you need across a wide range of capabilities."
The agreements, which had been kept mostly secret to make an impact at the summit, included the purchase by European countries of surveillance drones from the US company Northrop Grumman, and the purchase by NATO of aircraft from Sweden's Saab.
The US is also in talks with Germany and other nations about establishing joint production in Europe of missiles that are in high demand for the defense of Ukraine, a source told Reuters.
The move came amid growing concern in Washington about the ability of US arms manufacturers to meet demand, as both the war against Iran and the war in Ukraine have depleted US weapons stocks.
Rutte also said NATO allies will invest more than US$40 billion (about R$205.6 billion) over the next five years in their counter-drone capabilities.
The announcements come amid frequent criticism from Trump to Europe for insufficient contributions to defense and for relying excessively on the US to defend it through NATO, which has protected the continent since the early years of the Cold War.
Trump reinforced the message in a video released on Truth Social in anticipation of his visit, urging Europe to spend more on its own defense.

Source: G1