Ukraine’s battlefield experience and rapidly expanding defense industry have made it an indispensable security partner that should be part of NATO, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Addressing the NATO Defense Industries Forum in Ankara on Tuesday, Zelensky told alliance leaders that Kyiv now possesses some of Europe’s strongest military capabilities.
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He added that modern warfare has fundamentally changed and that Ukraine has become a global leader in drone warfare while defending itself against Russia’s invasion.
“If Ukrainians already know how to fight like this, then it does make sense for these capabilities to become a part of the alliance’s collective defense. That would make all of us stronger,” he said.
Zelensky argued that Ukraine had become “a source of extraordinary defensive capability” for NATO and said its experience fighting Russia would remain strategically valuable, as Ukraine would continue to share a border with Russia long after the war.
“The fact is that we will remain next to the source of the problem, Russia, for a long time,” he said.
Drone warfare has transformed modern combat
Zelensky said the nature of warfare had undergone a revolution comparable to the introduction of machine guns during World War I, tank warfare during World War II, and the invention of missiles.
“Today, drones and the very technology of fighting at a distance represent a revolutionary change in the technology of war,” he said.
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According to the president, Ukraine is eliminating around 30,000 Russian troops every month, primarily using drones.
“In June alone, nearly 28,000 Russian soldiers were eliminated, and we have video confirmation for every single one of them. The overwhelming majority were struck by drones,” Zelensky said.
“Frankly, we take no pride in this,” he added.
He added that Ukraine was forced to fight in self-defense and was demonstrating how modern wars are fought.
Zelensky also highlighted Ukraine’s expanding long-range strike campaign, saying Kyiv had eliminated Russia’s assumption that military production deep inside the country was beyond reach.
“Just yesterday, Ukrainian drones broke through Russia’s defenses and struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia,” he said.
“And this is not an exception. It’s the new reality. There is no major oil refinery left in Russia that has not been struck by Ukraine,” he added.
Zelensky said Ukraine had also transformed naval warfare in the Black Sea, with domestically developed naval drones evolving from strike platforms against Russian warships into multi-purpose systems capable of attacking land and aerial targets.
He added that Ukraine had built one of the world’s most effective air-defense networks against drone attacks.
“We have raised our interception rate against Russian Shahed drones to more than 90 percent,” Zelensky said. “That means thousands of Russian attack drones shut down every week.”
He argued that no other country had previously faced drone attacks of such scale or developed comparable defensive capabilities.
Air defense remains Ukraine’s greatest need
Turning to NATO partners, Zelensky said Ukraine still urgently needs additional air-defense missiles, particularly to counter Russia‘s ballistic missile attacks.
“The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defense against Russia’s ballistic missiles,” he said, calling ballistic missiles Russia’s “last major advantage.”
He urged European countries to accelerate the development and production of anti-ballistic systems rather than relying solely on existing stockpiles.
“We all value the Patriot system,” Zelensky said. “But today’s wars have shown that current Patriot production is not enough to meet the growing demand for protection against ballistic missiles.”
The president also called on allies to support Ukraine’s efforts to obtain licenses to produce Patriot systems domestically.
“Those who defend life need more Patriots,” he said.
Following this, Zelensky promoted Ukraine’s Drone Deal Initiative, describing it as a framework for joint drone production, technology sharing, air defense cooperation and the protection of critical infrastructure.
He said Ukraine now possesses “the world’s largest and the most advanced drone warfare capability” and is ready to share that expertise with partners through joint industrial projects.
Europe must build its own anti-ballistic shield
Zelensky also doubled down on his call for an “anti-ballistic” shield for Europe, arguing that Russia’s continued use of ballistic missiles had exposed a critical gap in Europe’s defenses.
“Europe needs affordable, mass-produced anti-ballistic systems as soon as possible. In fact, today,” he said, warning that the issue “cannot wait until 2030 or beyond.”
He added that strengthening missile defense should take precedence over commercial considerations.
“This is not about maximizing profits for governments or for industry. It’s about providing the strongest possible protection... for hundreds of millions of Europeans,” he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine was working with its allies to build what he described as an “anti-ballistic coalition,” but stressed that Kyiv urgently needed additional interceptor missiles while those long-term efforts continue.
“We are capable of doing everything else ourselves. But when it comes to air defense, we need our partners’ determination,” Zelensky said, calling for “more determination and more decisions for air defense” to become one of the key outcomes of the NATO summit in Ankara.
In his closing remarks, Zelensky thanked NATO leaders who continue to support Ukraine’s future membership in the alliance.
“NATO with Ukraine is the alliance for the future,” he said. “The alliance of today must be up to the challenges of the modern world – with Ukraine, with the strength of our defense industry, and, most importantly, the resilience and experience of our people.”
“I am proud of our people, and I am proud of Ukraine.”
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