Ukrainian member of Parliament Kira Rudik told Newsmax Thursday that Ukraine needs air defense systems to prevent nuclear war, but that, if Putin does use nuclear weapons, Ukrainian families have been preparing.
"One of the things that needs to happen — and we have been asking for that for the last eight months or more — is the sophisticated air force protection systems, because they would work, not only with the missiles and drones that are attacking Ukraine right now, but it will also increase our chances of intercepting the missile or the drone that will be holding the nuclear bomb," Rudik said during an appearance on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "This is critical right now, and these are the items that we need to receive ASAP. And it's extremely hard for us to understand why, in eight months of the war, we were not provided with the most sophisticated systems that could help not only Ukraine, but that could help the whole world to intercept what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin may have."
Rudik said that Ukraine has been asking both the U.S. and the U.K., as well as NATO and European countries, for air defense systems and that President Joe Biden promised to send some of the advanced systems only after a recent drone attack on Ukraine.
According to Rudik, right now 30% of Ukrainian energy infrastructure is destroyed; much of that could have been prevented if air defense systems had been sent to the country sooner, she said.
"It's [dis]heartening for me that killings and destructions need to happen for the right decisions to be made," she said. "Thank you so much that we will receive these systems, but it will happen after the destruction already has been made."
Like many Ukrainian families right now, Rudik said her family has made preparations in the event that Putin follows through with his oft-repeated threats to use nuclear weapons.
"I can tell you that myself and my family, we are ready," she said. "We have backpacks for the nuclear threat ready; and we know how we are going to act if, God forbid, something like that will happen.
"We understand that the world needs to do everything possible and impossible to prevent that; but if this will happen, we will have to make sure that we will have the highest chances to survive," Rudik added.
She did not elaborate further on her family's plans.
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