Zelensky asks Trump for an emergency package with Patriot missiles for the wave of Russian attacks in winter

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has asked his American counterpart, Donald Trump, for an emergency package with Patriot missiles to defend the Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the face of the foreseeable wave of attacks that Russia will launch during next winter.

The Ukrainian leader’s request occurred this Tuesday during the closed-door meeting that both held in the Oval Office, as Zelensky himself confirmed in an interview published this Wednesday by the Axios portal.

“We need Patriot for yesterday,” emphasized Zelensky, who explained that the concession that Washington has given is not enough to allow them to manufacture these projectiles on Ukrainian soil, since they must wait at least a year to begin producing large quantities.

The objective is to obtain at least 300 of these interceptor missiles for the winter, the time of year in which Russia targets its energy infrastructure, due to the alarming shortage of these ballistic interceptors, which has already made it almost impossible to repel the latest wave of attacks on kyiv.

Zelensky has explained that Russia uses between 30 and 40 ballistic missiles in each major attack against Ukraine, usually varying between three and five each month. Likewise, he has revealed that they are in talks with American companies to improve Ukrainian-made projectiles to assimilate them to the Patriot.

This new claim by Zelensky is part of those he has been raising in recent months, warning that the anti-aircraft defense systems are empty to face Russian attacks, placing special interest in the United States granting them the appropriate authorizations to manufacture the Patriot in Ukraine and thus be able to reduce their dependence on the reserves of their partners.

Trump gave his approval to these claims during the last NATO summit, held earlier this month in Ankara. “I think we are going to close that agreement (….) We are going to grant you a license to manufacture Patriot missiles,” said the US president in the Turkish capital.

On the other hand, Zelensky has also highlighted that the relationship with Trump is now much better and believes that part of this responds to how the conflict has developed in recent months, with Ukraine carrying out more daring attacks every week and Russia, it seems for the first time since the start of the invasion in February 2022, increasingly feeling the discontent of its citizens.

“Our relations are much better and more constructive. They are no longer as emotional as before. And I think it is good that they have improved,” said Zelensky, who with Tuesday’s is the third time he has attended the Oval Office since that tense meeting at the end of February 2025.