Ukraine needs US weapons above all air defense systems, Zelenskyy says
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that without American weapons, Ukraine would not be able to win the war. He made the statement in an interview with Fox News.
According to the president, without US support, Ukraine’s Defense Forces would be unable to protect the country’s airspace, which remains extremely challenging even now. That is why American assistance in air defense is critically important.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia launches hundreds of drones and missiles, while Ukraine still lacks sufficient air defense systems.
"We are also using American weapons on the front line. Without them, we will not be able to win," he said.
US weapons for Ukraine
In late February, during his visit to the White House, President Zelenskyy had a tense exchange with US President Donald Trump. Following that, Trump claimed that Zelenskyy was allegedly unwilling to end the war with Russia.
Amid those tensions, the United States temporarily suspended arms deliveries to Ukraine and paused intelligence sharing between the two countries.
The situation was later stabilized after negotiations between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, after which Washington resumed both weapons supplies and intelligence cooperation.
At the same time, in the summer, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule out the possibility of US air support for Ukraine as part of security guarantees, while clarifying that Trump excludes the deployment of American troops on Ukrainian territory.
On July 14, 2025, the United States and NATO launched the PURL program, which allows US weapons to be supplied to Ukraine with financial backing from European countries. Under this mechanism, Kyiv can receive air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition.
Funding for the program has already been allocated by several countries, including Denmark (about 580 million Danish kroner), Sweden ($275 million), Norway ($135 million), the Netherlands (€500 million), with Germany also contributing.
