President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is considering providing Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense missiles following a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO Summit in The Hague.
The potential weapons transfer would bolster Ukraine's ability to defend against Russian missile attacks as the war enters its fourth year, though Trump stopped short of committing to broader military aid for Kyiv.
"They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, as they call them the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available," Trump told reporters during a press conference concluding his Netherlands trip1. He acknowledged the systems are "very hard to get" and noted the U.S. "need[s] them too" while currently supplying them to Israel1.
Trump praised the American-made defense systems as "100% effective" and said Ukraine wants them "more than any other thing"1. The president described his conversation with Zelenskyy as "very nice," marking a shift in tone from what he called "little rough times sometimes" in their past relationship1.
Zelenskyy characterized their meeting as "long and substantive," stating Ukraine discussed "the purchase of American air defense systems to cover our cities, our people, churches, and infrastructure"1. He emphasized Ukraine's readiness to buy the equipment and support American arms manufacturers1.
Trump's comments come after the U.S. recently transferred approximately 90 Patriot interceptors from storage in Israel to Ukraine via Poland, according to Axios1. The January delivery represented the most substantial weapons transfer from Israel to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began three years ago1.
The missiles originated from systems Israel decommissioned last April after more than 30 years of service1. Ukrainian officials had approached both the U.S. and Israel with the idea to refurbish and transfer the missiles, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially hesitated over concerns about Russian retaliation1.
Patriot systems serve as Ukraine's primary defense against Russian ballistic missiles, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that can reach speeds up to Mach 101. Military analyst Yevhen Dykyi warned that without continued U.S. supplies, Ukraine's Patriots would become "piles of metal," leaving the country unable to intercept ballistic missiles2.
Ukraine currently operates approximately eight Patriot systems, with two reportedly out of service3. The systems require at least two missiles to intercept each incoming ballistic missile, creating ongoing ammunition demands as Russia escalates its attacks on Ukrainian cities3.
"Vladimir Putin really has to end that war. People are dying at levels that people haven't seen for a long time," Trump said, placing pressure on the Russian president to show more willingness to negotiate4.
