President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine faces a critical shortage of Patriot air defense missiles amid rising global security tensions. US Vice President J.D. Vance, meanwhile, confirmed a shift in Washington’s approach to military aid for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy spoke in an interview with ZDF, while RBK-Ukraine cited Vance’s remarks to journalists.
Critical missile shortage and impact of the Iran war
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the situation with Patriot missiles has reached an extreme level:
“We now have such a shortage that it cannot get any worse”.
He directly linked the shortage to global developments, including the war involving Iran:
“If the war lasts longer, there will be less weapons for Ukraine”.
According to the president, the conflict carries global consequences:
“This is a challenge for everyone. It is a war for the whole world, not only for the United States and Israel”.
Ukraine offers assistance to the US
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine stands ready to help address the crisis in the Persian Gulf, including the situation around the Strait of Hormuz:
“The Strait of Hormuz is blocked, and we want to unblock it; we already have experience with blocking the Black Sea. The United States has not yet approached us”.
US changes approach to Ukraine aid
Against this backdrop, US Vice President J.D. Vance effectively confirmed a reduction in direct US military support for Ukraine:
“One of the things I am most proud of as a member of this administration is that we told Europe: if you want to buy weapons, buy them, but the United States no longer buys or sends weapons to Ukraine. We have stepped out of this process.”
He said this decision represents one of the key policies of the current administration.
Context
After Donald Trump returned to power, the United States gradually changed the format of support for Ukraine. Instead of direct assistance, Washington introduced a NATO-based mechanism that allows European allies to finance weapons purchases.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that US President Donald Trump has shown decreasing interest in negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, shifting his attention almost entirely to the conflict with Iran.
