Thank you very much. Best wishes of health to everyone. Mark, dear friend, I'm glad you're in Ukraine today, with Ukraine. Ladies and gentlemen, our teams, respected journalists, today our meeting took place. A very important meeting for Ukraine - the Ukraine-NATO Council. This is a special format of our interaction. This is the first such meeting in Kyiv. It is truly historic. This format helps focus partners' attention on key security issues. Certainly, first and foremost, air defense. What is needed most is protection from Russian missiles. We now have more capabilities to defend against cruise missiles. Corresponding anti-missiles are simply not yet widely available in the world, and it would greatly help if partners focused especially on protection from ballistic missiles. We talked a lot about this today. Ballistic missiles, which Russia has begun using more frequently and which are objectively harder to shoot down. Ballistics are Russia's last argument in the war against Ukraine, and we need to find sufficient countermeasures. We have one tool that works so far - American Patriot systems. We are finding funds in Europe and from other partners to buy missiles for Patriots through the program.
And I want to thank all partners and thank you personally and Mark. Thank you that the PEARL program exists, that it continues, that it works. Right now in May there are contributions, there were contributions, there will be contributions in June too, and this is very important and is confirmation. But the speed of delivery through PEARL, the volume, is insufficient - that is also a fact. Additional steps are needed. Today we talked about this with the Secretary General, and there are essentially five key directions for further work. First, continue PEARL, certainly, and talk to all countries capable of investing more in our program. In particular, today there is a decision from several countries - six countries have confirmed they will make contributions to PEARL. We thank them greatly. We won't say which, we won't say the volumes - this is not public information. We need to buy what can be bought from the United States of America. Today all countries confirmed that this is a priority. Similarly, our new format DROM Deals - we are moving with partners to make this format fully effective. Second, Europe needs to move more quickly on its own anti-ballistic project. We all need this. We are already working with several countries - with France, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and other partners on creating European anti-ballistic capabilities. This is a very difficult project, but it is very necessary. We talked in our time with the previous US administration, and we also talk with the current administration regarding Patriot licenses so they can be produced in Ukraine or together with NATO partners. And this is an absolutely healthy path to increase our combined strength. This aligns with the existing course of the President of the United States for Europe to be able to do more for its own defense. We will continue to focus on this. I am grateful to all partners who are helping deliver this message to America - that we in Europe can produce what will help Europe, America, allies, and Patriots. This concerns air defense first and foremost.
I also thank all our partners who are already in joint production with us and helping with funds so that the level of weapons production in Ukraine grows. Right now Ukraine is directing about 45 to 50 billion dollars a year to weapons production. We have managed to reach such a, in my view, very high level. We have funds for financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We need to ensure exactly this sufficient level for both production and the army, not just now, but for these years. But more long-term. This is an ambitious task. This is a real, genuine, effective security guarantee for Ukraine, for our people, for our independence. Sufficient defense financing.
If anyone in Ukraine thinks this is easy, that it's some gift from heaven, we must not be mistaken. 24/7 we work to give Ukraine this unprecedented in our history level of financing - 45 to 50 billion a year just for weapons of all types of Ukrainian production. Large sums. Negotiating, convincing, finding formats, and finding this money in such volume - we are doing all of this. It's a challenge. We are doing it, and our partners are helping us. And once again I thank the Secretary General. Much works through personal contacts and certainly through mutual understanding. I am grateful to everyone in Ukraine who speaks with one voice with us and together delivers our needs to partners. I am grateful to all partners who are helping us. We discussed with Mark some more things that can give Ukraine more long-term financial security guarantees. We will work at the G7 summit and at the NATO summit in Ankara - a very important summit. I am grateful to Mark for the invitation to this summit. And we will definitely work at this summit so that these financial guarantees have real substance going forward. It's not yet time to fully disclose our ideas, but long-term sustainability for Ukraine, financial guarantees of sustainability - this is an obvious task. We know which countries to talk to to ensure such a result. One more thing - I want to thank all representatives of NATO countries, everyone who was here today. A big team for today's... your presence in Ukraine. Such a format and such representation of countries, especially after Russia's demand for ambassadors to leave Ukraine through corresponding threats, through strikes. So, we had so many ambassadors here. All countries - this is a clear signal that Europe, the United States of America, Canada, all our partners are united to continue supporting Ukraine and to force Russia to end this foolish aggression. Coercion must work. Sanctions against Russia, our long-range capabilities, finances for Ukraine, our political interaction, and partners' determination to help Ukraine exactly when it is so needed - all of this is a signal to Russia that this war for Russia will be fruitless. All of this pushes Russia toward diplomacy. We very much hope that over the summer and autumn we can genuinely bring peace closer. We want this, but a fair and dignified peace for all Ukrainians. Thank you to everyone who helps. Thank you to you, Mark, once again for the visit.
