Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly urged the United States to provide significantly more Patriot missiles. Speaking to CNN, he highlighted that Ukraine has only received one-tenth of the necessary interceptor missiles from the United States to halt the increasing wave of Russian ballistic missile attacks. According to Zelenskyy, a tenth of the current US stockpile would be sufficient to repel all Russian strikes, while even five percent would be enough to see Ukraine through the winter.
He further stated that the frequency of attacks by Russia has risen sharply in recent weeks, particularly targeting the capital, Kyiv. This increase is attributed to Russia exploiting Ukraine’s nearly depleted supply of Patriot interceptors. Zelenskyy also pointed out that July has been the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022.
Zelenskyy confirmed that he is engaged in daily phone calls and negotiations with allies to secure more interceptors. Furthermore, he expressed hope that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the interceptor missiles, although he admitted there are lingering doubts about whether former US President Donald Trump would actually implement such a measure.
