Zelensky Backs His Troops as ‘Very Smart’ Amid Concerns They Won’t be Able to Use U.S. Weapons

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended his country’s troops as “very smart” Monday while challenging a notion they are not prepared to handle high-tech weapons coming in from the West.

Zelensky sat down with CNN’s Jake Tapper to discuss new aid Ukraine is receiving as it continues to fend off Russia’s unprovoked war. While weapons pour into the country, Tapper noted there are detractors who believe they are going to soldiers who are not prepped to use them.

“One of the things I hear from western leaders is that your government asks for weapons that your military doesn’t know how to use,” Tapper noted, before asking, “Is it better to have the highest top of the line best equipment that your troops need to be trained and that could take weeks, if not months, or is it better to have equipment that you know how to use that might not be as advanced?”

Zelensky defended his troops, who thus far have kept Russian forces on their heels.

“I’ve heard many times from certain states that did not want to give us weapons quickly because our soldiers are not ready from a technical standpoint to use them,” Zelensky responded. “But instructors of such equipment, our instructors, will get our troops ready to fight. If it is a plane, for example, pilots can be ready in two weeks.”

Ukraine’s president praised his troops as “very smart,” and expressed a sense of urgency regarding getting weapons in their hands.

“We have very smart people for this,” he said. “We’ve had training with NATO countries, and I’ve heard these tall tales that we would need months to train our troops to use new tanks. We are prepared to use any type of equipment but it needs to be delivered very quickly and we have the ability to learn how to use new equipment. But it needs to come fast.”

The Department of Defense confirmed Monday Ukrainian troops will meet U.S. forces outside of the war-torn country where they will be trained on howitzers and other pieces of equipment.

The Howitzers are among numerous other weapons the Biden administration announced last week will go to Ukraine as part of an $800 million aid package.

Watch above, via CNN.

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