Ukrainian Patriot operators join F-16 pilots in addressing American people
Source: videos shared by Air Command Zakhid (West) and Air Command Pivden (South)
Quote from an operator: "Thanks to all the American people for providing us with weapons!
Thanks to your support, we are still alive, and we are able to protect our cities and the civilians who live there. Thank you to the American people!"
Details: The operators speak English in both videos.
Background:
Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots have thanked the American people for the opportunity to effectively defend Ukrainian cities from Russian aerial terror.
On 4 March, the US media reported that Trump has ordered the suspension of all military aid to Ukraine until he sees the Ukrainian leadership "demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace". The decision also applies to weapons that have left US territory and are en route to the Ukrainian border.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has admitted that there is a risk concerning the supply of missiles for the Patriot air defence system, but he remains hopeful that Ukraine can find a solution with the US and other partners.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


UPI
28 minutes ago
- UPI
7 European leaders to join Zelensky in White House meeting Monday
1 of 2 | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday. Photo by Olivier Hoslety/EPA Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Seven European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday in a bid to end the war against Russia. Zelensky and Trump announced the meeting on Saturday. On Sunday, it was disclosed they will be joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Zelensky last saw Trump in the White House on Feb. 23. During the contentious meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of "gambling with World War III" and being "disrespectful" to the United States. Plans for a cease-fire and a news conference were called off. Two months later, the two leaders met amicably when they went to the funeral for Pope Franic at the Vatican on April 26. Zelensky and von der Leyen met in Brussel, Belgium, on Sunday, joining a "coalition of willing," who are Ukraine's main European allies, in a video conference. European leaders on Saturday signed a joint statement that, "as President Trump said, 'there's no deal until there's a deal.' As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks, including President Zelenskyy, whom he will meet soon." In addition to the attendee's of Monday's meeting in Washington, the statement was signed by European Council President Antonio Costa and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight -- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden -- said in a statement that there should be "no decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine and no decisions on Europe without Europe." Trump posted Sunday morning on Truth Social "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED." Minutes earlier, he also criticized the media in two posts, writing that "if I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. That's why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA." Earlier, he wrote that "it's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!" It had been more than 24 hours since he posted about the war in Ukraine. After speaking with Zelensky and European leaders following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, he wrote that "it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up." This stance shifted to an end to the 3 1/2-year-old war that began with Russia's invasion of the sovereign nation. Zelensky was not invited to the summit with the two leaders. CNN reported Trump told the Europeans he wants a summit among himself, Putin and Zelensky on Friday if talks go well on Monday with Ukraine's leader. Information from Putin and Trump has been light on details. They spoke to reporters for a total of 12 minutes and took no questions on Friday. They didn't mention whether Russia or Ukraine will give up land acquired during the war. The three-on-three meeting included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also is Trump's national security adviser, as well as Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. "The point was that we began to see some moderation in the way they're thinking about getting to a final peace deal," Witkoff said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union. "We made so much progress at this meeting with regard to all the other ingredients necessary for a peace deal that we, that President Trump pivoted to that place." Putin spoke about "land swaps" during the meeting, Witkoff said. Witkoff said that Putin discussed land swaps during their meeting, but did not go into specifics beyond that Putin now suggesting swaps occur at the current front lines rather than the administrative boundaries of at least some of the regions. "The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions," Witkoff said. "Hopefully, we can cut through and make some decisions right then and there." The Trump administration has said it is up to Zelensky to accept a deal, and noted that Zelensky has opposed land swaps. Trump told the European leaders that Putin insists Ukraine allow Russia to totally control the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine where intense fighting has taken place since 2022, two sources told The New York Times. In exchange, he would freeze the current front lines elsewhere in Ukraine -- the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia -- and promised not to attack Ukraine again or other European nation. Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk, which represents 30% of the eastern region. Russia had partially seized the Donbas in 2014 when the nation annexed the Crimean peninsula and captured key areas of the region in 2022. Witkoff also said Putin agreed to allow a collective defense provision for Ukraine in a peace deal. For the first time, Witkoff said Putin offered a version of NATO's Article 5 provision -- that the groups members will come to the defense of an ally under attack -- with Ukraine, but without involvement from NATO. "We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee," Witkoff said on CNN. "Putin has said that a red flag is NATO admission," Witkoff said. And so what we were discussing was assuming that that held, assuming that the Ukrainians could agree to that and could live with that - and everything is going to be about what the Ukrainians can live with - but assuming they could, we were able to win the following concession that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection." Putin hasn't spoken directly about aspects of a possible peace deal. Zelensky thanked the European nations' support since the beginning of the war in February 2025, and said "sanctions show we are serious." "We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now," Zelensky said at a news conference with the EU's von der Leyen. "The contact line is the best line for talking [...] Russia is still unsuccessful in Donetsk region. Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land. "Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia and the trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia. So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen, and if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow." Zelensky said he wanted more clarity on the "security guarantees" from Trump. Unlike Trump, Zelensky has urged a ceasefire before a peace deal. "First we have to stop the killings," Zelensky said. "Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them, and if there are really as many as we heard, then it will take time to go through them all. "It's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons. So it's necessary to cease-fire and work quickly on a final deal. We'll talk about it in Washington. Putin does not want to stop the killing, but he must do it," the Ukrainian president said. Von der Leyen, noting Ukraine must become a "steel porcupine, undigestible for potential invaders," said there must be no limitations on Ukraine's military. "We must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe's vital security interests. Ukraine must be able to uphold its sovereignty and its territorial integrity," she said. Situation in Ukraine Russia continued aerial attacks overnight with five people dead and at least 11 injured in Ukraine's Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions, local authorities said. Russia launched 60 long-range drones and one ballistic missile, according to Ukraine's Air Force, as 40 other drones were downed by Ukrainian defenses. Russia's Ministry of Defense said 46 drones were intercepted from Ukraine. One person was injured in Russia's Voronzh region from debris, the local governor said. In central Kyiv at a market, the BBC reported few people were hopeful about the meeting on Monday. "The signs don't tell us about good expectations for tomorrow," said 35-year-old Iryna Levchuk while picking fruit and with her dog Susy, rescued from the frontline city of Kherson. Regarding a land swap, Dmitril said: "This won't work -- none of this will work. You've got to explain to the people that they need to negotiate with the terrorists."


New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
More than 700 National Guard troops from 3 GOP-led states will be deployed to DC to bolster Trump crackdown
Three Republican-led states will be deploying hundreds of National Guard members to Washington, DC, to bolster President Trump's crackdown on crime and homelessness in the nation's capital. West Virginia will be sending up to 400 troops, South Carolina has pledged 200 and Ohio will dispatch 150 in the coming days, the three states announced on Saturday. 'We stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region and contribute to the collective effort of making our nation's capital a clean and safe environment,' Maj. Gen. Jim Seward of the West Virginia National Guard said. The Mountain State's governor, Patrick Morrisey, added: 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' adding that the mission 'reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.' Three Republican-run states are sending an additional 750 National Guard personnel to Washington DC. AP South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced the deployment of 200 National Guard personnel from the Palmetto State to DC, but said the troops could be recalled in the event of a major national disaster such as a hurricane. He said the deployment was part of Trump's efforts to restore law and order in Washington, and in response to a request from the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, meanwhile, said he was sending 150 military police officers to support the DC National Guard. It follows protests in the capital on Saturday. Getty Images 'These Ohio National Guard members will carry out presence patrols and serve as added security,' he said in a statement. None of the members — who are expected to arrive in DC within the coming days — are currently serving as law enforcement officers within the Buckeye State, DeWine said. The deployments of 750 troops from the three states would bring the total number of National Guard personnel within the capital to over 1,450. So far, National Guard members have played a limited role in the federal intervention. Troops have been spotted patrolling landmarks such as the National Mall and Union Station, as well as assisting law enforcement with tasks such as crowd control. With Post wires


The Hill
29 minutes ago
- The Hill
Rubio: ‘Best way to end' Russia-Ukraine war ‘is through a full peace deal'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said the 'best way' to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is through 'a full peace deal,' but clarified that a ceasefire is 'not off the table.' During an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' host Kristen Welker asked Rubio about President Trump's past threats of 'severe consequences' for Russia if it did not agree to stop its war in Ukraine after the president met with President Vladimir Putin last week, which did not end with an agreement on Ukraine. She noted that Trump is now asking for a broader peace deal after the meeting. 'There's no doubt about that,' Rubio said about a peace deal being the ideal outcome. 'I mean, who would be against the fact if tomorrow we came to you and said, 'We have a full peace deal and it's done.' I think that's the best way to end the war.' Rubio noted that the aim of the meetings are not for a ceasefire, but for an end to the war. 'Now, whether there needs to be a ceasefire on the way there, well, we've advocated for that,' he said.' Unfortunately the Russians, as of now, have not agreed to that. But the ideal here, what we're aiming for here, is not a ceasefire. What we ultimately are aiming for is an end to this war.' When pushed on Trump's change in tune from threatening 'severe consequences' against Russia, Rubio said the country is 'already facing very severe consequences,' noting 'not a single sanction' has been lifted. 'Ultimately, look, if we're not going to be able to reach an agreement here at any point, then there are going to be consequences, not only the consequences of the war continuing, but the consequences of all those sanctions continuing and potentially new sanctions on top of it as well,' Rubio said. Rubio warned that adding new sanctions on Russia won't necessarily lead to a ceasefire. 'I don't think new sanctions on Russia are going to force him to accept the ceasefire,' he added. 'They're already under very severe sanctions. You could argue that that could be a consequence of refusing to agree to a ceasefire or the end of hostility.' When Welker asked why Trump hasn't 'punished' Putin since taking office, noting that critics may see his statements as 'empty threats,' Rubio argued, 'Every single sanction that was in place on the day he took over remain.' 'They face consequences every single day,' he continued. 'But the bottom line is that that has not altered the direction of this war. That doesn't mean those sanctions are inappropriate. It means it hasn't altered the outcome of it. And here's what we do think is important, and that is that we end this war. To end this war, you have to be able to engage with the Russians.' Rubio's comments come after Trump met with Putin on Friday in Alaska in a three-hour meeting alongside senior Russian and U.S. officials, Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and two Russian aides. While no agreement came out of the meeting, Trump touted it as 'productive.'