Zelenskyy gives officials one week to prepare Patriot contracts or face consequences
Ukrainian officials have one week to complete the preparatory work for contracts related to Patriot air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, warning that failure to do so could lead to dismissals.
He pointed to an unacceptable delay in moving forward with an agreement to purchase U.S.-made Patriots.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine already has an understanding “at the highest political level” on acquiring Patriot systems, but the deal is still awaiting implementation on the financial, legal and technical levels.
The president said he convened representatives of the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, National Security and Defense Council, and the Presidential Office’s diplomatic team.
“The task is absolutely clear: to speed up this Patriot contract, and the involved officials are personally responsible. The funds from the EUR 90 billion European support package along with our other financial resources, must be used as quickly as possible to fulfill the very tasks that ensure the protection of Ukrainian lives,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, even the legal steps for the contract still have not been worked out.
“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 Patriot systems, or serious personnel decisions,” he said.
Shortage of air defense missiles
Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of modern air defense systems and missiles for them. He stressed the importance of using the available resources rationally, improving efficiency and securing help from partners.
Zelenskyy also sent an urgent letter to President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress warning of a critical shortage of air defense capabilities in Ukraine.
In that letter, Zelenskyy asked the U.S. president and Congress to help Ukraine obtain Patriot PAC-3 missiles and additional air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks. The letter also said Ukraine has had difficulty obtaining U.S. weapons through the PURL program.
Zelenskyy said it is rare for leaders of another country to address both the U.S. president and Congress at the same time, but added that “the situation is such now that we need to act quickly and effectively.”