Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today accused the West of being “afraid” to mention the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukraine, even though they are helping Israel to do so.

“Allies are jointly shooting down missiles and drones in the skies of the Middle East, why is there still no similar decision to jointly shoot down Russian Shahed missiles and (drones) in the skies of Ukraine?” Zelensky said at a conference in Kiev.

“They’re afraid to even just say ‘we’re working on it,'” he added.

Faced with an increase in Russian drone and missile attacks on its infrastructure and cities, Ukraine wants its allies to help it destroy these missiles from Ukrainian territory, stressing that this will save the lives of Ukrainian civilians without the risk of being killed. Russian soldiers.

But Westerners fear that this could be seen by Russia as an escalation and that Moscow would therefore view Washington and the Europeans as warring rivals.

Kiev’s allies, for the same reasons, are limiting the supply of missiles to Ukraine that could be used to strike targets on Russian soil, much to Kiev’s chagrin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday of the threat of “war with NATO countries” if the West gives Ukraine permission to strike deep into Russian soil.

All these statements come as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington today to discuss with US President Joe Biden the possibility of allowing Kiev to use longer-range missiles against Russia.

Zelensky says he will present US President Biden with Ukraine’s ‘victory plan’ against Russia

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with his American counterpart Joe Biden in September to present to him “a victory plan” for Ukraine against Russia.

“This month, we are scheduled to meet with President Biden. I will present him with a winning plan. A set of interconnected solutions that will give Ukraine sufficient strength, sufficient material, to put this war on the path of peace,” the Ukrainian president said during an international conference organized by the foundation of Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk.

Zelensky plans for Kiev to present its plan to end the war at a peace summit in November, to which Russia is expected to be invited.

Referring to developments on the battlefield, Zelensky said the Ukrainian offensive launched in August in Russia’s Kursk region had the desired effect, slowing Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.

“Honestly, it (the attack) produced the expected results. In the Kharkiv region (northeast), the enemy’s march has stopped and its advance in the Donetsk region (east) has slowed, although the situation is very difficult there,” he said, saying Moscow had to deploy 40,000 men to its border Kursk region.

“There is still a long way to go,” he added.

Yesterday, the Russian military announced, for the first time since the start of the Ukrainian offensive in early August, that it had regained territory in the Kursk region. Ukraine has confirmed that there was a Russian counterattack, saying it was “in line” with Kiev’s plans.