Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Wednesday that his country’s access to critical U.S. missile defense systems could become more difficult if Middle East conflicts involving Iran drag on for an extended time.
During a CNN interview, Zelenskyy explained that Ukraine has only received small quantities of these defensive weapons due to constraints in American manufacturing capabilities. However, he noted that supply deliveries and intelligence sharing have remained steady so far.
The Ukrainian leader described how his nation obtains U.S. military equipment through the PURL program, which allows NATO member countries to fund weapons purchases for Kyiv.
“Through this programme, we can include and buy anti-ballistic missiles for Patriot systems and some other weapons which is very important for us. We don’t have this…with our European neighbours,” Zelenskyy told CNN in English.
“And of course, (given) the big challenge in the Middle East war and Iran, all these packages are at risk.”
Regarding the limited quantities received from Washington, Zelenskyy said the United States had supplied “only a small number. We had not too much. We understand why, because the production in the United States is not so big.
“And if the war will continue or a ceasefire is delayed…(this) will be not good. And maybe we will have more risks with anti-ballistics.”
Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukraine continues sharing its four years of experience fighting Iranian-designed drones used by Russian forces with Middle Eastern nations. His country has established agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“We will continue to work with other countries,” he said. “We will be ready to deliver first our expertise…and the second point is training missions.”
