Trump contemplates future Ukraine assistance
(MENAFN) President Donald Trump has stated he will consider whether the United States will provide additional Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine, following requests from President Vladimir Zelensky.
During a press briefing in The Hague after meeting with Zelensky at the NATO summit, Trump was asked if the U.S. would supply more Patriots. He responded by noting that the systems are “very hard to get,” emphasizing that the U.S. also requires them for its own defense. While some units are currently being sent to Israel, Trump said his administration would “see if we can make some of them available.”
Ahead of their meeting, Zelensky had expressed Ukraine’s willingness to purchase the systems if the U.S. declined to donate them, saying Kiev was prepared to support American weapons manufacturers. He also reiterated that the Patriot is the only effective defense against Russian missile attacks. However, Russia has disputed this claim, and Ukraine’s own air force has acknowledged the system’s limitations against modern Russian weaponry.
As of May, Ukraine had six operational Patriot systems, primarily donated by the U.S. and Germany, with additional parts supplied by the Netherlands and Romania. Zelensky previously announced Ukraine’s goal of acquiring 25 systems and appealed to European allies to help fund ten more, with an estimated price tag of $15 billion—a proposal Trump officials have dismissed as unrealistic.
When asked whether the U.S. would contribute to the $5 billion in aid pledged by other NATO members, Trump avoided a direct answer, instead stressing that the conflict must be brought to an end.
Since taking office in January, Trump has consistently advocated for a negotiated peace in Ukraine, though he has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress. He revealed plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in pursuit of a settlement, but gave no timeline. Earlier this week, Trump reiterated his goal of striking a deal with Moscow to end the war.
Russia, for its part, maintains it is open to negotiations without preconditions, though it insists any agreement must reflect current battlefield dynamics and guarantee Ukraine’s neutrality.
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