US to Provide More Patriot Systems to Ukraine — Trump

The United States will send additional Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, using funds provided by European Union countries, President Donald Trump said.

Speaking to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Trump said the systems would be transferred because they are “desperately needed,” but added that the situation is complex.

“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice, and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it,” Trump said.

He added that the number of systems to be transferred has not been finalized, but said the full cost would be covered by the EU.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that Germany was ready to fund the purchase of two Patriot systems, and Norway has also expressed willingness to finance another.

“When we receive a clear answer from the manufacturer and the US regarding delivery timelines, other European partners will join,” Zelensky said.

Alongside the air defense systems, Ukraine continues to face shortages of interceptor missiles, particularly the PAC-3 MSE variant, which is used to target ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Last week, the US Secretary of Defense temporarily halted deliveries of these missiles to Ukraine, citing low stock levels. Days later, a smaller shipment was approved by Trump.

According to Axios, the shipment included 10 interceptors, about a third of the quantity in the batch that had been stopped. Since two interceptors are typically used against one ballistic missile, the new supply is roughly equivalent to the ammunition needed for a single night of Russian attacks.

According to The Guardian, the US stockpile of Patriot interceptors is at just 25% of the quantity needed to meet the Pentagon’s operational planning requirements.

The situation has become more strained since Iran launched a missile strike on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar last month. The US reportedly used around 30 Patriot missiles to intercept the attack.

That demand is also affecting Washington’s plans to deploy more Patriot systems to the Middle East in support of operations against the Houthis in Yemen.