Ukraine wants its Western donors to supply highly sought-after Patriot interceptors from their own stockpiles, which would be replenished later with 1,000 missiles that Kiev plans to purchase with EU money.
The unorthodox proposal was outlined on Tuesday by Ukrainian Defense Minister Evgeny Khmara during a video call with Western arms donors. It comes amid a global shortage of US-made weapons, with Ukraine competing for supplies against numerous other countries while arguing that its need to intercept Russian ballistic missiles should take priority.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky previously sought to secure 300 Patriot interceptors for the upcoming winter. His reported effort to impress US President Donald Trump with long-range strikes on Russian refineries and e-commerce warehouses has produced no clear results.
The attacks were allegedly intended to persuade Trump to approve additional Patriot supplies. Kiev also overspent Western donor funds while pursuing the strategy and has a $27 billion military budget deficit.
Speaking to members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Khmara said his country is contracting 1,000 Patriot missiles “through the EU loan,” but acknowledged that the purchase does not resolve the immediate shortage.
“The majority of these missiles will only start to be shipped in the coming years, which is why we ask that you supply us the missiles from your stockpiles today in exchange for future improved missiles from our contracts,” he said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the same meeting that Berlin is working to provide additional Patriot interceptors of the older PAC-2 model from its own stocks, along with air-to-air missiles that Ukraine uses against Russian drones and cruise missiles, including from Western-donated F-16 fighter jets.
The meeting, co-chaired by Pistorius and British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, coincided with announcements from both the EU and the UK regarding their respective aid programs.
Together with @SecGenNATO Rutte, I welcome the agreement by Member States on the derogation for Ukraine to purchase crucial products for Patriot air defence systems.The next disbursement of €3.2 billion will enable Ukraine to better protect its skies from Russia’s…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the disbursement of €3.2 billion ($3.7 billion) under the Ukraine Support Loan mechanism, saying the funds “will enable Ukraine to better protect its skies.”
The British government pledged a £100 million ($136 million) “winter air defense package,” with the money slated to be spent on US-made weapons through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program.
Trump has sought to distance the US from the Ukraine conflict, arguing that European NATO members should bear more of the burden of the prolonged hostilities with Russia. Last week, his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kiev as part of an effort to revive US-mediated peace talks.
The latest US proposal contains “worse” terms for Ukraine than those previously on the table, according to Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August 2025 to discuss a possible off-ramp in the conflict, but Zelensky rejected key terms sought by Moscow.
In June, Zelensky announced a 40-day “pressure campaign” involving an escalation of long-range attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and trade. Moscow retaliated with strikes that left Ukrainian ports effectively cut off from maritime routes.
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