Now Reading: Zelensky asks US for 10% of Patriot stockpile to counter Russia
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Zelensky asks US for 10% of Patriot stockpile to counter Russia
Ukraine's President Zelensky has asked the US to sell Ukraine 5-10% of its Patriot interceptor stockpile, saying 10% would let Kyiv destroy all Russian ballistic missiles. In a CNN interview, he said…
The Story in Brief
Ukraine's President Zelensky has asked the US to sell Ukraine 5-10% of its Patriot interceptor stockpile, saying 10% would let Kyiv destroy all Russian ballistic missiles. In a CNN interview, he said Ukraine now has only 1% of the stockpile and faces two-and-a-half times fewer interceptors than last year, while Russia has doubled its monthly ballistic missile attacks. The shortage worsened after the US and Israel went to war with Iran in February, diverting Patriot supplies.
Zelensky also said he is in daily talks with the White House and allies to secure more missiles, and he is pushing for a US licence to manufacture Patriots in Ukraine. He rejected calls to surrender Donbass territory, arguing Putin would attack again. The UN says July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that Ukraine is making unreasonable demands ignores its desperate shortage, Zelensky says he has just 1% of the needed interceptors. Russia has doubled its monthly ballistic missile attacks. Yet the West's supply chain, strained by the US-Iran conflict, cannot keep up. Watch whether the Trump administration moves beyond words to actually license production in Ukraine. That single decision will test whether America is serious about Kyiv's survival.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
