Zelenskyy: Ukraine negotiating deal for 25 American Patriot air defense systems
The Ukrainian side is currently preparing a contract with American defense companies for the supply of 25 Patriot air defense systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that there are already corresponding queues in production.
"In coordination with the relevant US services, we have built conversations with defense companies regarding air defense, we are preparing a contract for 25 Patriot systems. I think this is a very good story. Not easy. But long-term," Zelenskyy said during a meeting with journalists on Sunday.
He explained that there is a number of systems that are needed as soon as possible, and in addition, there is one that is needed in the long term as a guarantee of security.
According to the president, these 25 Patriot systems are a request from the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"The difficulty in the queue to receive these systems is the queue from countries that have concluded the corresponding contracts. We will receive these 25 systems every year, a different number in different years," he said.
Zelenskyy noted that the White House can change the queue if there is political will, but Ukraine understands which European countries can give this priority in the queue.
"Each of the European countries that are key in NATO has its own systems, and there are also systems that belong to the United States. This means that if everyone works hard and if there is goodwill, then with these American systems that are in these European countries, the White House could help us get them," Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, according to him, these air defense systems require appropriate money. The president called the money from the use of frozen Russian assets a priority source of financing. However, it is also necessary to work on other financial sources, he noted.