Zelenskyy Said He Spoke to NATO Chief About Securing More Missile Interceptors

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with the Polish prime minister at the Prime Minister’s Office in Warsaw, Poland, on Dec. 19, 2025. Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte about the possibility of Kyiv obtaining more air defense interceptors, as Ukraine continues to be bombarded by Russian missiles.Zelenskyy said in an Aug. 5 post on X that Rutte “is well-informed about the threats, and we coordinated our efforts regarding countries that have the necessary missiles and the capacity to help.”The Ukrainian president said it was necessary for international partners “to cut through all red tape and make the necessary political decisions” to ensure the consistent flow of anti-ballistic systems to Kyiv.“We are working as hard as possible with all partners who can assist with the supply of interceptor missiles to protect against such insane Russian strikes targeting life, people, and civilian facilities,” Zelenskyy said.Rutte confirmed in a post on X that he had spoken with Zelenskyy about the latest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.“I am discussing with Allies how we can continue to get Ukraine the air defenses they urgently need,” he wrote on Aug. 5.Ukraine is faced with a shortage of the U.S.-made Patriot air-defense system, which is used to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. But Kyiv has been struggling in recent times to secure enough interceptors, which are in short supply globally.Overnight on Aug. 5, Russia hit Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing 17 people and injuring 44 others. Zelenskyy said Russian forces had sent 24 ballistic missiles, four hypersonic Zircons or supersonic Oniks, and another 115 drones, “a significant number of them jet-powered.”“Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, calling on international partners to understand that delays to providing anti-ballistic systems “lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.”Missile Interceptor Deliveries DownZelenskyy on Aug. 5 said that deliveries of missile interceptors from international partners had dropped threefold from last year.The Ukrainian president said it was necessary that political decisions continue to be made to ensure regular supply and acceleration of production processes of interceptor missiles, which he said was not only significant for the support of Ukraine, “but also to the global protection of life.”Ukraine’s former ambassador to the United States last week said that Ukraine needs new Patriot anti-ballistic missiles to defend against Russian strikes this winter.Olha Stefanishyna told reporters during an event hosted by The Christian Science Monitor on July 30 that Ukraine was in discussions with the Pentagon to have Kyiv produce the PAC-3 interceptors for the Patriot system, but that the process could take anywhere from 12 months to five years.Russia has been ramping up its aerial attacks against Ukraine and production of ballistic missiles; Stefanishyna said Moscow was well aware that Kyiv does not have an effective anti-ballistic capability.“That’s why we’re looking for different capabilities,” she said. “We have been successful in everything, but so far, for this winter, we need the missiles.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L), NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte (C), and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen (R) address the press during a NATO summit in The Hague on June 24, 2025. Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty ImagesStefanishyna said that discussions were underway about Kyiv agreeing to a long-term purchase of interceptors, and then swapping positions in the production timeline with buyers from other countries.President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that he would grant Kyiv a license to produce Patriot air defense systems.However, in an interview with the Financial Times published on July 31, Trump said he was “not sure” whether to allow Ukraine to produce the Patriot missiles.“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and … we have to be a little bit careful of who we license to. We don’t really license equipment,” Trump said.