Zelenskyy explained how Ukraine is collecting one or two air defense missiles at a time
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine is negotiating air defense missiles, including Patriot systems, at the highest level. U.S. licenses will open up production, but other solutions are needed before winter.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the difficulties involved in finding air defense missiles, including Patriot missiles, as winter approaches: interceptors are being “assembled” one or two missiles at a time, and this is being done through agreements at the highest level. He said this to journalists during a briefing in New York on the night of September 24, UNN reports.
How air defense missiles are being sought
“One or two at a time. We are taking steps that we will only talk about later, after the war. No one is talking about hundreds; no one is talking about thousands. They are being assembled... one or two missiles at a time. This is very difficult work. And these two, three, or five missiles are provided exclusively leader to leader, and there is no other way; otherwise, it will not work. If you ask one team to work with another team, there will be no results,” Zelenskyy said, commenting on how air defense missiles are being sought.
What about the U.S. licenses for Patriot
“The Patriot package is a very complicated issue. Did I discuss it with Trump? Yes, and we moved on to another issue, then returned to this one, then moved on to a third issue, and returned to this one again—and that is approximately how our conversation went. We covered all the issues, and after each one, the Ukrainian side brought the American side back specifically to this issue. The licenses. President Trump confirmed once again—the licenses—and said, ‘We will transfer all of this; Ukraine will produce Patriots.’ That is how it is. But when? Ukraine will technically be able to produce them after some appropriate period. Yes, we have strong companies, but substantial preparation is still needed, because this is very serious production. And winter is here, very close—closer than the possibility of producing Patriots under American licenses. Therefore, other decisions are needed, and they are needed now. We are working on this,” Zelenskyy noted.