Ukraine awaiting US decision on Patriots, joint arms production: Zelenskyy

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that his country is awaiting decisions by the US on the supply of Patriot systems and funding for the PURL initiative, stressing Kyiv’s readiness for joint arms production with international partners.

“We have proposed to the US the purchase of the necessary number of systems. Also on the table is our proposal on drones,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address, noting Ukraine’s drone capabilities were already demonstrating their effectiveness.

“More than 2 billion dollars are already in the program, another one and a half billion have been announced. We are waiting for these revenues and, accordingly, supplies. And a lot depends on partners – good dynamics with Europe, we expect decisions from the United States of America. In particular, regarding the Patriots – this is very important,” he added.

The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, launched by the US and NATO, is designed to accelerate the delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine to strengthen its defense capabilities.

The Ukrainian president underlined that Ukraine has offered “serious opportunities not only to invest in production in Ukraine” but also to establish joint industrial complexes abroad.

“For the first time in history, Ukraine will have modern joint arms production with strong countries,” Zelenskyy added.

Momentum in European cooperation has already been achieved, the president said, adding that much now depends on Washington’s decision.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal meanwhile said he held a “substantive meeting” in Kyiv with EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius to discuss the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, with 19 countries already joining the initiative.

SAFE is a new European Union initiative that offers €150 billion ($176.7 billion) in low-cost loans to member states to boost their defense capabilities.

“We count on effective cooperation, as this mechanism will support the development of Ukraine’s defense industry,” Shmyhal said. He stressed that additional funding was needed for drone production, including FPV drones, interceptor drones and long-range UAVs.

He thanked the EU for launching the “Drone Alliance” and for providing financial assistance, adding that stable budgetary support remains a key priority.

Last week, Kyiv held a series of meetings with US and European officials, with Ukrainian leaders calling for more air defense systems, including additional Patriot batteries, and deeper military-industrial partnerships.