Ukraine wants more missile defense, but the war in the Middle East has driven up demand.
Ukraine is pleading for the U.S.’s help to defend against escalating Russian ballistic missile attacks, which killed several people and injured more than 90 over the weekend.
In a letter sent to U.S. President Trump and Congress on Tuesday, seen by POLITICO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the U.S. for further shipments of its PAC-3 interceptor missiles. This latest request comes just a few days after Kyiv was pummeled by Russian ballistic missiles, with Moscow eyeing more attacks soon.
“For us — for a nation fighting for its survival — there is hardly anything more painful to see than Patriot batteries with no missiles loaded,” Zelenskyy wrote. “I ask for your help in protecting Ukraine’s skies from Russian missiles.”
U.S.-made PAC-3 interceptor missiles used in the American Patriot system are currently the country’s best defense against Russian ballistic missiles, although it hopes to develop its own ballistic missile defenses. The second Trump administration has dragged its feet on providing Kyiv with Patriot missiles, leaving Kyiv in a bind as its supplies dwindle. The U.S.-Israeli war in Iran has further threatened Ukraine’s supply, as the two countries and other U.S. allies in the region burn through hundreds of PAC-3 interceptors.
In Monday’s letter, the Ukrainian leader acknowledged the “high demand” for Patriot missiles in other regions, and accedes to the longtime Trump position that Europe must “take on a greater role” in its own security.
He praised U.S. weapons systems and jets in glowing terms and expressed gratitude for their delivery to Ukraine.
Over the weekend, more than 90 missiles were launched at Ukraine, and on Monday, the Kremlin warned foreign diplomats that it would continue bombing Kyiv. Russian ballistic missiles are Putin’s “last major advantage on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“They can be intercepted. With Patriots. With your help. And you have the
power to help,” he wrote.