President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that a protracted war between the United States and Israel against Iran could weaken support for Ukraine, as Washingtonʼs priorities are changing.
Zelensky stated this in an interview with the Associated Press.
"We must admit that we are not a priority today. That is why I am afraid that a prolonged war [in Iran] will give us less support," Zelensky said.
According to the president, he is most concerned about the supply of American missiles for Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine urgently needs them to counter daily Russian strikes. He emphasized that Kyiv still does not have an effective alternative to these systems for intercepting ballistic missiles.
"These American systems have never been supplied in sufficient quantities, and if the war with Iran does not end soon, the package (which is not very large for us), I think, will be smaller and smaller every day. That is why — of course — we are afraid," Zelensky said.
Ukraine needs missiles for Patriot
PAC-3 is a modern interceptor of the Patriot air defense system, which is designed not only to shoot down a target, but also to destroy it with a direct hit. It differs from older versions in that it does not explode next to the target, but crashes into it at high speed. With such a strike, the energy is enough to destroy the warhead. The main purpose of these missiles is ballistics. Ukraine is currently in critical need of these missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in a few days of war in the Middle East, countries used more than 800 PAC-3 missiles. Ukraine has never had so many missiles at one time. Because of this, Zelensky proposed a “quiet” exchange with countries in the region — to receive missiles for Patriot in exchange for interceptor drones.
On April 3, following his visit to the Middle East, the president reported that a decision had been agreed with some partners to supply Ukraine with PAC-3 Patriot missiles. All that remained was to obtain US consent.
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