MFA: Ukraine discusses with partners the presence of allies in the Black Sea and airspace

This was announced at a briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhyi, as reported by Ukrinform.

“Any long-term security must include a stronger presence of our allies both in the Black Sea and in the air. We are already discussing this with them in our talks and we believe that this is an important aspect that needs to be discussed,” he said.

According to the Foreign Ministry representative, these security issues may be considered at the meeting of the Eurasian Council on March 6 and at a number of other meetings.

At the same time, Tykhyy emphasized that there is no specific information about the number, location and forms of a possible allied contingent in Ukraine. Instead, there is a broad discussion in Europe, in which Ukraine is participating, and different countries are expressing their opinions.

Speaking about the air component, the diplomat emphasized the importance of closing the skies over Ukraine, which is “no less, and perhaps even more important, than ground operations.”

“It is Russia’s air supremacy that currently allows it to dominate the battlefield and continue to terrorize Ukrainian cities, communities and villages,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman explained.

“Counter-tactics are entirely feasible. They have been carried out in many countries, and even the proximity of Russian aircraft or the front line is not an obstacle. Similar operations are being carried out in the skies over the Baltic…”, the diplomat noted, mentioning Syria in this context.

He also added that Türkiye, in Kyiv’s view, is an extremely important player and participant in the discussion of European security issues and is actively involved in discussions on how to ensure long-term security in Europe.

As reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the issue of creating a peacekeeping contingent is being studied, and much depends, in particular, on the role of the United States in this process.

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On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha noted that discussions on the presence of foreign contingents in Ukraine as part of peace guarantees should also focus on protecting Ukraine's maritime and airspace, not just on land.

During a visit to Kyiv on 24 February, the third anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, European Council President Antonio Costa announced his intention to convene a special EU summit dedicated to strengthening Europe's defence capabilities and increasing EU aid to Ukraine.