An agreement was reached on the purchase of Patriot complexes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that an agreement on the purchase of Patriot air defense missile systems has already been reached at the highest political level, but its implementation has been delayed due to unresolved financial, legal, and technical issues.
“We have an agreement at the highest political level regarding the purchase of Patriots, and this agreement is awaiting implementation at the financial, legal, and technical levels. The wait has dragged on,” the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security and Defense Council, and the diplomatic team of the Office of the President have been tasked with accelerating the conclusion of the Patriot contract as much as possible.
The president emphasized that responsibility for fulfilling this task is personal for all officials involved.
“Funds from the European support package for Ukraine, amounting to 90 billion euros, and our other financial resources must be utilized as quickly as possible to carry out precisely those tasks that ensure the protection of Ukrainian lives,” he noted.
The head of state also emphasized that, as of today, even the necessary legal procedures regarding the future contract have not been completed.
“I have set a final deadline—one week for all preparatory steps. I expect a report on Friday: either clarity regarding the implementation of our agreement on the Patriots, or serious personnel decisions,” Zelenskyy stated.
Thus, the President of Ukraine has set a strict deadline for finalizing the Patriot deal and warned of possible personnel decisions should the process be further delayed.
The head of state made this announcement following a meeting dedicated to additional channels for supplying air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine.
Journalists at The Guardian report that a global shortage of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems is creating additional opportunities for Russia to intensify air attacks on Ukraine. Analysts warn that the shortage of these munitions could persist for several more years and affect not only Ukraine but also the security of U.S. allies.
Tests of the new European air defense system Freya, which is considered a more affordable alternative to the American Patriot system, may begin in Ukraine in the near future.
