President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and informed him about Russian shelling and Ukraine’s needs to protect and strengthen its air defense.

This was reported by the Office of the President on January 15.

The Head of State emphasized that Russian strikes during such a cold winter pose serious challenges. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that today Russia struck an energy facility in Kharkiv, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and heat.

The President separately highlighted the importance of the PURL program. Ukraine expects the amount of contributions to it to increase this month.

The President and the NATO Secretary General discussed in detail diplomatic work and contacts with partners in the United States and Europe.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte exchanged views on what the next steps should be.

“We have already made significant progress, and now it is important not to slow down. Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to achieving peace”, — the Head of State emphasized.

The President thanked Mark Rutte for supporting Ukraine.