U.S. President Donald Trump said Patriot air defense missile systems will be delivered to Ukraine in the near future.
He made the announcement on Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump confirmed that the plan to supply military aid to Ukraine, funded by European countries, includes Patriot systems “complete with batteries.”
“Some of them will arrive very soon—in fact, within a few days. Several countries that have Patriots are going to ‘exchange’ them, and we will replace them with other systems,” he said. The president added that “there is one country that has 17 Patriots ready to be sent,” though he did not specify which one.
Vice President J.D. Vance, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during an address to the nation in the East Room of the White House. Photographer: Carlos Barria/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images“We are working on an agreement that will put 17 or a significant portion of them on the battlefield. And it can be done very quickly,” Trump added.
The previous day, Trump had confirmed his intention to provide Ukraine with various types of weapons, including Patriots, which he said would be “fully paid for.”
On Monday, he announced an agreement between the United States and NATO under which American weapons for Ukraine will be financed by European allies.
Beyond the systems themselves, Ukraine remains focused on securing additional interceptors, particularly PAC-3 MSE missiles, which are designed to counter ballistic and hypersonic threats.
Germany is expected to receive the first domestically produced Patriot interceptor missiles in late 2026 or early 2027.
Asked whether Germany would have full control over the use of those missiles — including possible transfers to Ukraine — given that they involve American technology, Major General Christian Freuding said there would be no obstacles.
