Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken part in the forum "Ukraine. Year 2024", where he spoke about the help of partners and the importance of the coming year. Find out exactly what the president said and what his hopes for 2024 are

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On Sunday, 25 February, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the forum "Ukraine. Year 2024". The press conference was quite long, and the Ukrainian leader managed to answer many questions, including the likely end of the war in Ukraine. Here are the most memorable parts of the conversation with the President and what else he said.

The format for ending the war will be decided in 2024

Speaking to journalists, the President said that the first year of the war was a period of survival, the second was a year of resilience, and the third would be a turning point.

"I think it was the most difficult period - the counter-offensive ended, the Russian offensive began, which weakened the aid package... Now is the most difficult moment for our unity... So far, this third year is a turning point. The format of the end of the war will depend on this year", the president said.

In addition, Zelenskyy predicts difficult months ahead for Ukraine, as the Russian army will be preparing a major offensive in late May and early summer. A turning point can be expected after the US elections.

At the same time, the Ukrainian leader noted that Ukraine has no way to fail to win the war, as the country will lose its statehood. He is confident that if the Ukrainian army receives the weapons they need, Ukraine will win.

Weapons that can change the war in Ukraine

According to the president, the Ukrainian army could force the Russians to retreat if it received 10 more US Patriot air defence systems. 

"If today or in the coming months, Ukraine could receive... 10 Patriot systems for key industrial centres, I won't say for which ones, it's clear. If we could use these systems closer to the front line, they would not approach us, they would retreat. We would have broken their defence lines and moved forward", Zelenskyy stressed.

Speaking about the desire to use these systems closer to the front line, the Ukrainian president probably meant that Patriot systems can very effectively work against Russian aircraft (proven repeatedly), which continues to cause many problems for Ukrainian defenders on the contact line. According to analysts, the Russians managed to take Avdiivka precisely because of air superiority.

Zelenskyy added that not only Patriot could help Ukraine, but also other weapons that Western partners could provide to the Armed Forces, but have not yet done so.

It is worth noting that Ukraine currently has several installations of US Patriot systems, but they are only enough to protect some strategic sites in several cities. The number of systems available to the Ukrainian Air Force cannot cover the entire territory of the country.

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Ukraine has a plan for 2024

During the forum "Ukraine. The Year 2024" forum also featured a speech by Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who said that Ukraine had already developed a war plan for 2024. For obvious reasons, there were no specifics from Umerov. However, the Ukrainian president later said that the fewer people who know the plans of the Ukrainian army, the faster the victory will be.

It is worth noting that Ukraine's plans for 2024 are known only to a narrow circle of high-ranking officials.

As Zelenskyy explained, Ukraine's 2023 counter-offensive plans were on the table in the Kremlin even before the Armed Forces began to launch attacks. It is for this reason that the Ukrainian leadership is now doing its best to hide its plan.

Some experts suggest that the President of Ukraine, speaking about the Kremlin's signs of Ukraine's plans last year, hinted that there was a mole in the circle of high-ranking officials who could have leaked the data to Russia. However, the Ukrainian leader did not say this directly.

Help from partners

During the forum, Zelenskyy intrigued with news of assistance from France. He said that French leader Emmanuel Macron would soon come to Ukraine. The President of Ukraine noted that France and partners would supply the Armed Forces with several dozen more Caesar artillery systems, but that was not all.

"There are some other things, but we will talk about it when he (Macron - ed.) arrives," the president said.

Interestingly, a few days after Zelenskyy's statement, the French president gathered Western leaders in Paris, where they announced the creation of a new coalition that would supply Ukraine with medium- and long-range missiles. It is anyone's guess what Macron will bring to Ukraine, but given the latest news, it may be long-range missiles, which, in principle, France is already supplying to Kyiv - SCALP-EG (the same as the British Storm Shadow).

By the way, the United States has also talked about plans to provide long-range missiles. However, due to the fact that the Americans are unable to allocate any funding for Ukraine, the Pentagon cannot send these weapons to Kyiv. At the same time, Western media reported that there was another option: the missiles would be provided to European allies, who would send them to Ukraine.

During the forum, the Ukrainian leader also raised the issue of assistance from the United States, which has not yet approved funding for Ukraine. According to the President, Ukraine needs American assistance within a month.

"There is hope for the Congress and I am sure that there will be a positive outcome. They know that we need their support within a month, this is our request," he said.

We remind you! On 24 February, it was exactly two years ago that the Russian army invaded Ukraine. During this time, the Ukrainian people have probably lived through one of the most difficult periods in their history. Here's a look at what these two years at the front have been like and what the consequences are for Ukraine.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

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