Zelenskyy at Munich: With Over 150 F-16s and 25 Patriot Systems, Ukraine Can Defend Itself

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is willing to defend itself— if it receives the necessary military equipment, he said during a press briefing ahead of the Munich Security Conference on February 14.

Addressing the question of an international military contingent, Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine is prepared to rely on its own forces if sufficiently armed.

“When we talk about a contingent, there was a question about whether we are open to a European one. I said we are ready for a contingent composed entirely of Ukrainians. The real issue is the equipment. If we have 150–160 F-16 fighter jets and over 25 Patriot systems, why would we need US or European troops? If the question is about nationality, it’s irrelevant. What we need from the US is alliance,” he stressed.

Zelenskyy also underscored that military aid must go beyond weapons, calling for strategic and political backing from Ukraine’s allies.

“When we talk about contingents—I have a map that shows 110,000 foreign troops. It would be preferable for our partners who specialize in naval operations, like the UK and Nordic countries, to be deployed at sea,” he added.

Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that this year, Russia plans to prepare 15 divisions for training and reinforcement along the Belarusian front.

“This year already, Russia will prepare 15 divisions for training and reinforcement along the Belarusian front. We believe that all or part of these forces will be stationed in Belarus. This amounts to a massive force of 100,000 to 150,000 troops,” Zelenskyy added after saying that Russia would attack Ukraine again if no security guarantees were provided to Kyiv.