Kyiv Calls on NATO for 20 Advanced Air Defense Systems to Defend Power Grid

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Tuesday called for NATO countries to send at least 20 more air defense systems to protect the energy infrastructure from Russian attacks, including systems like Hawk, NASAMS, or IRIS-T.

Ahead of a meeting with NATO foreign ministers, Sybiha stated that he would raise the issue of supporting Ukraine during the winter.

“We have already informed our partners about our urgent needs, and we are grateful to them for such a prompt response,” he told journalists before the meeting. “And we are talking about the urgent delivery of at least 20 additional systems such as Hawk, NASAMS, or IRIS-T.”

According to Sybiha, this support is crucial to prevent a blackout in Ukraine.

“We understand that the Russians are trying to deprive us of energy production, which is why we need more support,” he added.

On the first day of the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reaffirming that full NATO membership is the only effective security guarantee against Russian aggression.

The statement, marking the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, rejected any alternative security arrangements and criticized past agreements as “short-sighted.”

“With the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum behind us, we will not accept any alternatives, surrogates, or substitutes for Ukraine's full membership in NATO,” the Ministry declared.

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ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December, 3, 2024

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

President Volodymyr Zelensky recently proposed joining NATO under partial application of Article 5, although details remain unclear. In a Sky News interview, he suggested that a ceasefire could be achieved if NATO protected territories under Ukrainian control, potentially allowing future diplomatic efforts to reclaim Russian-occupied areas.