Ukraine Receives Partial Delivery of Promised NATO Patriot Systems; Zelensky Calls It a Significant Achievement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has lauded the NATO decision to provide Ukraine with five Patriot air defense systems, but revealed that not all of them have been delivered yet. In an interview with Ukrainian journalists, aired during the Unity News telethon, the president mentioned the significance of the NATO summit’s outcome in Washington, which took place in July 2024.
"[The NATO decision] was a serious achievement, a positive and irreversible step towards Ukraine’s integration into NATO," Zelensky said. "Especially the decision to provide five additional Patriots. Although not all of them have been delivered yet, the decision is deemed positive."
While praising the NATO move, Zelensky underscored the pressing need for more advanced air defense systems to counter Russian aggression. Last October, Russian forces managed to damage Patriot launchers, although the overall system’s combat functionality was maintained, according to the Acting Head of the Air Force Communications Department, Yuri Ignat.
In a separate statement, Zelensky expressed the need for an additional 10-12 Patriots to fully secure Ukrainian skies from Russian strikes. He criticized Western partners for their reluctance to allocate funds from frozen Russian assets to facilitate these systems’ procurement.
