Ukraine preparing long-term contract for 25 Patriot systems after meetings in US, Zelensky says
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional comments from President Volodymyr Zelensky's evening address.
Ukraine is looking to acquire 25 more Patriot air defense systems in a long-term arrangement with the United States, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv on Oct. 20.
First delivered to Ukraine under the Biden administration in 2023, the Patriot surface-to-air missile system remains critical for defending against mass Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian military targets and civilian infrastructure.
"In coordination with the relevant U.S. agencies, we arranged discussions with defense companies regarding air defense systems, and we are preparing a contract for 25 Patriot systems," Zelensky said at the meeting, attended by the Kyiv Independent.
"I consider this a very positive story – a complex one, but a long-term one."
Zelensky's comments came after a whirlwind trip to Washington, where — on top of a reportedly tense meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, — he met with defense industry representatives, including Patriot manufacturer Raytheon.
"We devoted a lot of time to communication with companies, and to conversations at the White House and personally with the President," Zelensky said.
"The willingness to work with Ukraine is fully sufficient – Ukraine is trusted," Zelensky said in his evening address, referring to U.S. defense companies. "It is important that there be enough support for this at the political level in Washington."
Since Trump's inauguration, no new major U.S. funding packages for new military aid to Ukraine have been passed, raising concerns about Kyiv running out of key systems like the Patriot.
In response, European countries have agreed to pick-up the bill, with the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism launched this fall between the U.S. and other NATO member states.
Still, despite the new initiatives, overall deliveries of foreign military aid to Ukraine dropped dramatically over the last months, according to research published by the Kiel Institute on Oct. 14.
With Russian mass missile attacks into Ukraine's rear once again targeting energy infrastructure ahead of winter, and air defense stocks stretched by years of regular barrages, Ukraine's ability to field Patriot systems is seen as crucial for its continued resistance to Russia's aggression.
As the most advanced Western-manufactured air defense system and the only one capable of consistently shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, the Patriot is in high demand, with years-long waiting lists both for the batteries themselves and for the interceptor missiles.
Given the constraints, Kyiv hopes to prioritize the delivery of Patriots stationed by the U.S. in Europe, Zelensky said.
According to the president, the proposed contract for 25 Patriot systems would be carried out over several years, "with different quantities each year."
Currently, losses notwithstanding, Ukraine has been delivered at least seven full Patriot batteries, including by the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania, as well as an unannounced battery of Israeli origin that was reported by Zelensky to have begun working in Ukraine around late summer.
