UK and EU team up to build Patriot-style air defense for Ukraine
Patriot air defense system (Photo: Getty Images)
The UK, together with other EU countries, will help Kyiv create an alternative to the Patriot air defense system in order to reduce Ukraine's dependence on the US, according to The Telegraph.
The Telegraph writes that Moscow is taking advantage of Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles and is intensifying missile and drone attacks targeting Ukrainian cities.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked US leader Donald Trump to increase supplies of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot, which have been in short supply since the start of the US war against Iran.
It is precisely because of the shortage of interceptor missiles for air defense systems that Zelenskyy proposed creating a European alternative to the American Patriot air defense system.
After negotiations with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the President of Ukraine stated that France, Germany, and the UK would help with anti-ballistic capabilities.
Zelenskyy then expressed hope that Ukraine and its allies could develop a European alternative to the Patriot, which is also needed by Great Britain.
He also spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to persuade the Alliance to coordinate the development of the alternative.
Ukrainian sources told The Telegraph that Kyiv's plan is for its own defense industry to produce interceptor missiles for the European system.
These will be combined with radar, tracking, and guidance systems developed by European firms.
"Ukraine’s role is to produce anti-ballistic interceptors, and we’re already testing them," said a source familiar with the coalition's plans.
NATO, in its coordinating role, has convened meetings with industry leaders, national security advisers from alliance member countries, and other planning officials.
It is unclear how long it will take to create an operational system capable of matching the interception speed of the Patriot system's PAC-3 missiles.
In 2025, Ukraine reached an agreement with US manufacturers for Patriot air defense systems and missiles, but the systems can be delivered only before 2030, subject to one condition.
