Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is heading into the NATO summit in Ankara with a singular mission: to convince Kyiv’s allies to deliver the air‑defence systems Ukraine desperately needs as Russia intensifies its missile campaign. His plea carries new urgency after two devastating strikes on the capital in less than a week, with ballistic missiles smashing into apartment blocks and killing more than 50 civilians.
Zelensky will also hold a crucial meeting with Donald Trump, aiming to persuade the US president that Russia’s “brutal” attacks are a sign of weakness not strength and that Vladimir Putin must be pushed toward a “dignified” peace. The conversation comes as Ukraine escalates its own long‑range drone operations, hitting Russian oil refineries and military sites, causing fuel shortages and power cuts deep inside Russia.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged allies to “pull their weight” and ensure Ukraine gets the systems it needs “to defend its sovereignty.” He said Kyiv is “changing the dynamic on the battlefield,” pointing to Ukrainian efforts to stall Russian ground forces in the east and to recent drone strikes that have given Ukraine a tactical edge.
But the war in the skies is shifting fast and not in Ukraine’s favour. Russia’s ballistic missiles are proving extremely difficult to intercept. Ukraine’s air force publishes daily tallies of Russian launches and interceptions, and Monday’s figures were stark: while almost all drones were successfully shot down, not a single ballistic missile was intercepted.
The phrase echoing through diplomatic circles is “window of opportunity” a narrow moment in which Ukraine’s battlefield momentum and Russia’s internal strain could align. But without stronger air defences, Kyiv risks losing that window entirely.
Zelensky’s message to NATO will be blunt: Ukraine can keep pushing back, but only if its cities stop burning.
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