Ukrainian defense and security forces will be able to protect people and entire settlements from Russian guided bombs if the United States takes a step forward and grants permission to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, speaking at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington.

"In May-June, we achieved an important victory – we stopped the Russian advance on Kharkiv," he noted.

"The Russian army was ordered to get into artillery fire range to shell Kharkiv. But the courage of our men and women, as well as the American permission to strike military targets in Russia, got the job done. And I am grateful to you, I am grateful to President Biden for this permission. And to everyone in the Congress who helped," the president said, adding that we are now pushing the Russian army out of the areas near Kharkiv.

"We also destroyed the launchers of Russian missiles that had been hitting Kharkiv for more than two years on a daily basis. And this gave Kharkiv protection from missile strikes," Zelenskyy said.

"Imagine how much we can achieve when all limitations are lifted. Similarly now we can protect our cities from Russian glide bombs if American leadership makes a step forward and allows us to destroy Russian military aircraft on their bases. This will also yield an instant result. And we are waiting for this step," he said.

"And we can significantly limit Russian actions in southern Ukraine and push the occupier out of there if American leadership assists us with the necessary deep strike capabilities against Russian military and logistics in our Ukrainian Crimea," Zelenskyy said.

"And we are talking about this to all our partners. And all these steps would strengthen us," he concluded.