Zelenskyy on Patriot and new US aid: No response yet
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach / RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has not yet reached an agreement with the US on a new military aid package. Kyiv has also not received a response to its proposal to purchase Patriot systems from the US, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during a press conference.
In response to a journalist's question about assistance from the US, the president confirmed that Ukraine is currently receiving support approved during Joe Biden's presidency.
"The aid we’re receiving now is the assistance that was approved by Congress a year ago. As for new aid, we have not yet reached an agreement with the US or had the opportunity to discuss the details," Zelenskyy said.
As for the American Patriot systems, Ukraine has so far failed to secure either deliveries from the US as part of new aid or an agreement on purchasing them.
"Regarding the Patriot systems, they could be part of a new aid package — or they could be the only element of that package. It depends on our negotiations. As for the Patriots we’re ready to purchase, the US has not yet responded," Zelenskyy added.
Patriot systems for Ukraine
Patriot systems are essential for Ukraine to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Ukraine currently relies on the US to supply air defense systems capable of shooting down ballistic threats.
In early April, Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that currently, only the American Patriot systems are capable of performing this function.
Recently, President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is even ready to purchase air defense systems and other weapons from the US for $30 billion, or even $50 billion, viewing arms as a kind of security guarantee.
Later, the president clarified that Ukraine is ready to buy ten Patriot systems from the US or obtain licenses to produce them domestically.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is prepared to spend $15 billion on the acquisition of ten systems that could protect its largest cities, where the population is most concentrated.
However, Donald Trump has been reluctant to agree to the transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine. In response to Zelenskyy's comments, Trump recently gave a sharp reply.
"Oh, I don’t know. He’s always looking to purchase missiles, you know. He’s against... Listen, when you start a war, you know that you can win the war, right? You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump said.
With this, Trump effectively claimed that Ukraine started the war.
