Ukraine‘s Western allies are in talks to provide more Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv, aiming for an agreement before the NATO summit in late June, a source said on Monday.
The U.S. and Greece are among the potential suppliers of these systems, according to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ukraine is increasingly desperate to get more Patriots, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling CBS News last month his government was ready to buy 10 of the U.S.-made air defence systems that are vital for shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.
Patriots In Ukraine
According to Ukrainian Defence Express military analysts, as of April this year, Ukraine had seven fully operational Patriot systems.
Quoting U.S. officials, the New York Times reported on Sunday that Washington was planning to send a Patriot system that was based in Israel to Ukraine after it is refurbished.
It added that allies were talking about “the logistics of Germany or Greece”, giving another one.
Zelenskyy said he had discussed air defence systems with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral in the Vatican, in what he called the best meeting the two ever had.
Patriot Air Defence Systems
The Patriot air defence system, developed by the United States, is a sophisticated surface-to-air missile (SAM) platform designed to detect, track, and intercept incoming threats such as aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
Operated by several NATO countries and U.S. allies, the system uses advanced radar technology and interceptor missiles to neutralise aerial threats at medium to long ranges. Patriot batteries have played a key role in various conflict zones, including the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on these systems to defend against Russian missile attacks, viewing them as critical to its national air defence strategy.
Upcoming NATO Summit
The 2025 NATO Summit is scheduled to take place from June 24 to 26 at the World Forum in The Hague, Netherlands.
This marks the first time the Netherlands will host a NATO summit. The summit will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who assumed the position following Jens Stoltenberg’s tenure.
Key topics on the agenda include discussions on increasing defence spending among member nations, strategies to bolster NATO’s defence capabilities, and considerations regarding Ukraine’s potential membership in the alliance.
(With inputs from Reuters)
