He said that some European countries could give priority to Ukraine over their own Patriot deliveries, or else send batteries they currently possess to Ukraine.
“If everyone works together and there is goodwill, the White House could assist us specifically with these American systems that are already in those European countries — so that we can receive them,” Zelenskyy said.
Each system costs about $1 billion, and Ukraine’s finances are scarce. Kyiv hopes to get cash from a €140 billion reparations loan financed by frozen Russian assets that is being considered by EU countries. However, that is still not a done deal.
“Naturally, we also need to work on other sources of financing. Currently, we have 28 bilateral security agreements with various countries. The task is to secure funds and make advance payments, and within the framework of these agreements, it can be done,” Zelenskyy added.
A third way is the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, a NATO initiative to have allies buy weapons from the U.S. for delivery to Ukraine. Under Donald Trump, new donations of U.S. military aid have slowed to a trickle.
“This initiative is very important because it allows us to purchase the necessary American weapons, in particular missiles for the Patriot systems and some other things, and it also helps relations with the United States in general,” Zelenskyy said.