Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked President Trump for an emergency “winter package” of Patriot air-defense interceptors, warning that Ukraine could face a major humanitarian crisis if Russia destroys the country’s power infrastructure during the colder months, according to Axios.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s Patriot interceptor stockpiles are nearly depleted, leaving the country increasingly unable to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks. He is seeking 300 interceptors by winter and said President Trump promised to try to assist, while noting that U.S. supplies have also been strained by the war with Iran.

During their White House meeting on Tuesday, Trump agreed to move forward with licenses allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors. Zelensky later met with representatives from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, though he acknowledged that large-scale production could take between one and five years. “We need the Patriots yesterday,” he said.

Zelensky also said Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected to visit Kyiv within the next two weeks to discuss efforts to restart peace talks with Russia. He added that he remains interested in negotiations, despite his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for further escalation rather than seeking to end the war.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)