By Kontur and AFP | 2024-05-28

BRUSSELS -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the West to "use all means" to force Russia into peace talks during a visit to Spain, followed by visits to Belgium and Portugal meant to shore up support for Ukrainian forces.

"We need to intensify our joint work with our partners to achieve more. Security and tangible coercion of Russia to peace by all means," Zelenskyy told a news conference in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on May 27.

"We need to work together and put pressure not only on Russia but also on our partners to give us the opportunity to defend ourselves against Russia," Zelenskyy said.

"Air defense is defense, not attack," he said, reiterating his call for aerial defense systems capable of intercepting the 3,000 aerial bombs hitting Ukraine each month.

Spain pledged €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in military aid to Ukraine as a Russian offensive gained new ground.

F-16 fighter jets

Zelenskyy arrived May 28 in Brussels, where Belgium committed to delivering 30 F-16 fighter jets by 2028 to help Kyiv battle Russia's invasion.

The pledge was made as part of a bilateral security and long-term support accord signed by Zelenskyy and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, the latest in a string of similar Ukrainian accords with Western allies.

Zelenskyy said the first aircraft would be "arriving already this year" -- though Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib was more cautious, saying earlier that "we hope deliveries will start at the end of this year."

The Ukrainian-Belgian security agreement, Zelenskyy said, "includes at least €977 million in Belgian military aid to Ukraine this year," in addition to a commitment of support over the next 10 years.

Overall, Brussels says it has committed €1.2 billion to providing military support for Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to derail a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland set for next month.

"Putin is very scared of the peace summit," he told reporters Brussels. "He has been trying to thwart this summit and continues to do so."