Hegseth says US will ‘find a way’ to help Ukraine after Zelensky's plea for air defense missiles

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on May 30 that the United States will "find a way" to help Ukraine defend itself, days after President Volodymyr Zelensky sent an urgent letter to the White House warning about Ukraine's worsening shortage of air defense systems.

Responding to reporter's questions on the letter, Hegseth praised European countries for their "commitment" to increasing defense spending, including funding spent on "important munitions."

"If you look at the amount of money that's been spent, Europe has stepped up, and Ukraine has been just as, if not more, effective in the process. So we want them to be able to defend, and we'll find a way to make sure we can help them do that," Hegseth told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, without offering specifics as to what assistance would be provided.

Hegseth's comments come days after U.S. President Donald Trump was informed by Zelensky about Ukraine's worsening shortage of anti-ballistic missile capabilities.

The appeal comes as Russia intensifies mass aerial attacks on Ukraine and publicly threatens a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv, including attacks on what Moscow described as Ukraine's "decision-making centers."

"I, on behalf of the Ukrainian people, respectfully ask the president and the U.S. Congress to remain engaged," the letter says. "And to help us secure this vital tool of protection against Russian terror — Patriot missiles PAC-3 and additional systems — to stop Russian ballistic missiles and other Russian missile attacks."

"The current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face," the letter continues.

While Trump has yet to publicly comment on the letter, U.S. lawmakers visiting Kyiv on May 28 said Washington should respond positively to Ukraine's request for additional air defense missiles.

Since his inauguration in January 2025, Trump has not allocated any new defense aid packages under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) — a tool frequently used by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. Instead, the Trump administration has opted to sell weapons to Ukraine via NATO partners, using the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).

Despite the agreement, U.S. military aid to Ukraine fell by 99% in 2025, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported in February, with Trump instead focusing on attempting to broker a Ukraine-Russia peace deal throughout 2025.

Moscow has shown no interest in accepting a U.S.-brokered 30-day ceasefire and Kyiv has refusing to hand over the rest of Donetsk Oblast into Russian occupation, leading U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to admit on May 22 that the talks were effectively at a standstill.

Amid the impasse, Zelensky held a special meeting with three of his top officials on May 30 to discuss key steps in "important negotiations" in the near future. At the top of the agenda was the urgent need to acquire more air defense interceptor missiles, and follow through with existing agreements on the joint production of drones. with the United States and European partners.