Zelensky says richest nations still can't supply enough missile interceptors
Ukraine's president says production shortfalls extend even to countries that spent years stockpiling interceptors, as Kyiv seeks a winter package of Patriot missiles from Washington
Published
President Volodymyr Zelensky said even the wealthiest countries cannot produce enough missile interceptors to meet demand, and that nations which spent years building up stockpiles have already used up much of them.
Zelensky has pressed President Trump for a winter package of Patriot missiles and licenses to produce them, arguing they are tied to security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump said he would discuss Patriot production with Zelensky when the two met Tuesday, as talks continue on ending the war. Zelensky has also warned that Russia is preparing a massive attack on Ukraine.
The diplomatic track around the war remains unsettled. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine want a ceasefire covering grain and energy infrastructure, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York, though the Kremlin has cautioned that broader peace talks are not yet ready. The Kremlin has also said any meeting between Putin and Zelensky could only take place in Moscow, and that no high-level meeting is currently scheduled.
Zelensky's remarks go further than his earlier warnings, which centered on Ukraine's own capability gaps and the pace of Russian attrition. By framing the interceptor shortage as a global, systemic problem, he is suggesting that Western resupply may not be able to close Ukraine's air defense gap no matter how much political will exists in Washington or European capitals. That leaves Ukraine more exposed to the sustained missile campaign Russia is running, and tilts the military balance further against Kyiv.