Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he asked President Donald Trump for an emergency winter package of Patriot air defense interceptors to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy told Axios that Trump pledged to help secure more Patriot air defense systems but warned supplies are limited due to the war with Iran. Trump also agreed to move forward with Patriot production licenses, though Zelensky stressed Ukraine needs the interceptors immediately and is seeking 300 Patriot systems by winter.
Notably, even if Ukraine secures the licenses, it could take one to five years before it can produce interceptors at scale.
After visiting the White House, Zelenskyy said he met with representatives from Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT)and RTX Corp. (NYSE:RTX) to discuss Patriot interceptor production.
Ukrainian President also said that Ukraine and U.S. defense companies are exploring converting Ukrainian-made ballistic missiles into anti-missile interceptors with capabilities similar to the Patriot air defense system.
Zelenskyy told the publication that Russia launches 30–40 ballistic missiles in each major attack and carries out three to five such strikes monthly. He warned Ukraine’s Patriot interceptor stockpiles are nearly exhausted and offered to share military technology with the U.S. in exchange for more missiles, cautioning that without them Russia could destroy power plants this winter, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
Senate Pushes Russia Oil Sanctions
Last week, Zelenskyy appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the country’s new commander-in-chief, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi amid ongoing domestic protests. Zelenskyy said the leadership change will support continued military operations, long-range sanctions, and precision strikes aimed at defeating Russia and forcing it toward peace.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused Trump of not standing with Ukraine and being too soft on Russia, saying he had “tried and failed to pander to Russia.” On Tuesday, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to fast-track a bipartisan bill, honoring late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), that would give Trump the authority to impose sanctions on major buyers of Russian and Iranian oil, a move that could significantly impact countries including India and China.
On Monday, Trump rejected Zelenskyy’s claim that Russia was sharing intelligence on U.S. military bases with Iran, saying he did not believe Moscow was providing Tehran with meaningful intelligence support.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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