Zelenskyy urges NATO Ankara summit to avoid ‘hollow exercise’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday warned that the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara must not become a "hollow exercise," urging concrete decisions on air defense cooperation following overnight Russian strikes that killed 22 people in the capital.

Russian strikes kill 22 in Kyiv

In an evening video address, Zelenskyy said Russian drones and missiles struck Kyiv and surrounding regions overnight, killing 22 people and injuring nearly 90, according to official tallies. He noted that he had received updates from Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on rescue operations "every half hour" since the assault began.

Ukraine presses for missile production licenses

While emphasizing that Ukrainian forces have maintained high interception rates against drones and cruise missiles, Zelenskyy stated that domestic production of anti-ballistic capabilities "has still not been scaled up to the level" required for comprehensive protection. "We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves," he said, arguing that US licenses for Patriot missile production would enable Ukraine to safeguard its own territory and assist allied nations.

NATO summit in Ankara

"We very much expect that the summit now in Ankara — the summit of the strongest Euro-Atlantic states — will not become a hollow exercise," Zelenskyy said, adding that "decisions are needed" to strengthen European and transatlantic security cooperation. NATO heads of state and government are meeting in Ankara on July 7-8 for the alliance’s 2026 summit, hosted by Türkiye, with Zelenskyy expected to join a joint appearance with Secretary General Mark Rutte and a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.