(28 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
AGENCY POOL
Brussels – 28 May 2024
1. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo arriving at news conference
2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine:
"As Russia plans to expand and continue the war, we need as many practical steps as possible to bring peace. First, we have agreed on fixed deliveries of combat airplanes to Ukraine. Thank you for that decision. We have fixed in the deal the number of F-16s that Ukraine can receive from Belgium, it is 30 aircrafts and our task is to use F-16s in Ukraine already this year to strengthen our positions. Our second agreement is for 10 years. For this year we have fixed the level of financial support for our defense from Belgium at almost one billion euros. This amount will be used to protect people’s lives from Russian terror."
3. Photographer
4. Reporter
5. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine:
"Just so you know, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is very scared of the Peace Summit. He thought that 90 countries would never support us, he tried to disrupt the summit and continues to do so. And that is why now it is important to have a parallel platform and to do something that hasn’t been not done before. I understand, there are those who support Russia today, it means they support the war because Putin came to us with the war. But if the leaders are staying silent, that’s even worse, I think. Because you either are for peace or you are for war, and it is better to know that you are an enemy than to know that you have no opinion at all. It means that if you’re silent, then you’re comfortable with what’s happening now."
6. Reporter
7. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine:
++STARTS ON WIDE SHOT BEFORE ZOOMING IN++
"I would like (U.S.) President (Joe) Biden to attend the summit. We know that America will be there, but we don’t know at what level. I think it’s not a very strong position. I have respect for every person in the United States of America, they support us a lot. But now there’s going to be a Peace Summit organised by the whole world, and there’s going to be something that Russia is going to try to arrange. And I think that President Biden is needed by the Peace Summit and he is needed by those leaders who are looking at the reaction of the United States of America."
8. Zelenskyy and De Croo standing up and shaking hands
STORYLINE:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday called on U.S. President Joe Biden to attend the Peace Summit that will be held in Switzerland.
"I think that President Biden is needed by the Peace Summit and he is needed by those leaders who are looking at the reaction of the United States of America," Zelenskyy said at a news press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday received a second $1 billion promise of military aid in as many days for his war with Russia during a whirlwind tour through the European Union.
The pledge for 2024 came from Belgium, which topped up the money with a commitment to give 30 F-16 fighter jets over the next four years.
"We have fixed in the deal the number of F-16s that Ukraine can receive from Belgium, it is 30 aircrafts and our task is to use F-16s in Ukraine already this year to strengthen our positions," Zelenskyy said.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy signed a security agreement with Spain that allocates 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of military aid to Ukraine in 2024, and 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) by 2027.
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