‘Ukraine needs 25 Patriot air defence systems and more F-16 warplanes’

Kyiv: Ukraine needs 25 Patriot air defence systems to fully defend its airspace and protect the entire country from Russian missile attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, adding that he also wants Western partners to send more F-16 warplanes than those already pledged.

In his first news conference since returning from a trip to the United States, Zelenskyy said he is ready to work with Donald Trump if he wins November’s election.

“I am not afraid” of that prospect, Zelenskyy said, adding he is convinced that most Republicans support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Zelenskyy said on Sunday he was “appalled” by the attempt to assassinate Trump and wished him a speedy recovery. Western support is crucial for Ukraine as it tries to beat back Russia’s bigger and better-equipped invading army. Zelenskyy has proved talented at persuading friendly countries to provide ever more support, even if he doesn’t always get what he wants immediately.

A six-month delay in military assistance from the US meant that Kyiv’s forces “lost the initiative” on the front line, Zelenskyy said.