WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with President Trump and Congress to marshal Patriot missile systems as his war-torn country braces for an expected bombardment from Russia.
Zelensky’s five-page missive came on Memorial Day and dramatically warned that “the fate of many lives is being decided” while underscoring how American defensive weaponry can save scores of civilians from Russian attacks.
“Frankly, while we have achieved significant success in defending against all types of drones, Ukraine has not yet built its own capability to produce anti-missile defense systems,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.
“When it comes to defending against ballistic missiles, we rely almost exclusively on the United States. Patriot systems remain the most effective defense against every type of Russian ballistic missile,” he added. “The majority of Russian missiles can be stopped.”
Trump has refrained from green-lighting massive military aid packages to Ukraine and has instead championed the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which allows NATO to purchase American firepower for the war-torn country.
PURL is currently Ukraine’s only “available for securing Patriot interceptors of ballistic missiles,” according to Zelensky.
“But the current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face,” Zelensky stressed. “We understand that today there is high demand for Patriot antiballistic missiles in other regions as well.”
“Ukraine is ready to purchase the number of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles we need,” he went on. “[A]fter all we have been through together, have we not earned a place among your allies?”
The letter was first reported by Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky touted Ukraine’s successes with drones, intercepting Russian ones by over 90%, and noted how Kyiv has offered deals with countries like the US to share its technology.
But missile defense has proven more troublesome. Over the weekend, Russia blasted dozens of missiles, including three known hypersonic ones, against Ukraine.
Ukraine had made remarkable progress on the battlefield against Russia since February, after Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service set up a white list to cut off the Kremlin’s access, scrambling its coordination efforts.
Reeling from those setbacks and economic strain, Russia is ramping up.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate US personnel from Kyiv, teasing the Kremlin’s plans to embark on “systematic and consistent strikes,” including “decision-making centers,” per a readout from Moscow.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged the strain on Patriot supplies the US is facing due to the war in Iran and asked to expand production with European allies in a process that would be “fully under US control.”
“Expanding Patriot production could become one of the most important contributions we make together to the security of America, Ukraine, Europe, and your allies around the world,” Zelensky wrote.
“We know — because we have tested it in modern war that American weapons work. They work exceptionally well.”