Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said NATO leaders must make “strong decisions” on air defense as he prepares to meet President Donald Trump at this week’s summit in Turkey.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging NATO countries to move air defense missiles out of storage and into Ukraine as he prepares for a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump at this week’s alliance summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine needs “strong decisions” from NATO leaders, particularly on Patriot interceptor missiles, as Russia continues launching large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities. His appeal came after Trump held separate weekend calls with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin about efforts to end the war.
Trump is expected to use the summit to press NATO members to increase defense spending, arguing that current levels are not enough to sustain the alliance. The war in Ukraine is also expected to be a major focus, with Trump scheduled to meet Zelensky in person during the gathering.
Ahead of those talks, Zelensky made clear that Ukraine’s most urgent request is additional Patriot missiles. Ukraine has received Patriot systems from Western allies, but Russia has continued firing more ballistic missiles than Ukraine can intercept, forcing Kyiv to ration its air defenses.
A major Russian air raid on Kyiv last week was among the deadliest attacks of the war. Another strike overnight into Monday again hit the Ukrainian capital with drones and missiles, killing 14 people, according to the submitted information.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s forces are able to intercept many drones and cruise missiles, but ballistic missiles remain the most difficult threat because they travel into space before descending at extreme speed toward their targets.
“Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles,” Zelensky said.
He said the summit must produce serious action and warned that anything less would encourage Russia to continue its attacks. On Sunday night, Zelensky said the world already has enough Patriot missiles to meet Ukraine’s needs if allied nations choose to provide them.
“Missiles for Patriots are needed not in warehouses right now, but in Patriot units in Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote.
He added, “I thank everyone who is providing real help.”
Ukraine’s foreign secretary, Andrii Sybiha, also pressed the point Monday. According to The Guardian, Sybiha said before the NATO meeting that “all decisions on air defence are needed now… The time for weak steps has passed.”
The Ankara summit will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, with Turkey hosting the alliance gathering. Turkey has often been viewed as one of NATO’s most unpredictable members and one of the alliance countries closest to Russia.
The summit is expected to center heavily on defense spending among European and Canadian members as the United States pushes allies to take on more of the burden for collective defense. That debate could be difficult for the United Kingdom, which has historically been one of NATO’s leading military powers but is now facing criticism over defense funding and readiness.
The Trump administration has already told Britain to move faster to repair its defense problems, while recent reports have pointed to military readiness failures affecting British forces.
Trump is expected to seek commitments from European allies to move beyond what critics describe as a post-Cold War peace-dividend mindset of large welfare states and smaller militaries. European governments, meanwhile, are likely to press for stronger NATO-backed support for Ukraine, even though Ukraine is not a member of the alliance.
Turkey also enters the summit with its own priorities. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government continues to seek access to American-made F-35 fighter jets, a long-running goal that has been complicated by Ankara’s dealings with Russia and concerns in Greece and Israel over how Turkey might use the aircraft. Euractiv has noted that Turkey’s return to the F-35 program remains a sensitive issue for regional allies.
For Zelensky, the immediate objective is more direct: securing Patriot missiles and other air defense support before Russia’s next wave of strikes. His message to NATO leaders ahead of the Ankara summit is that Ukraine does not need more pledges at a later date, but immediate decisions that can strengthen the country’s defenses now.
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