'They’re going to need them': Trump backs Zelenskyy’s Patriot request, slams Putin over ceasefire refusal

US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need additional Patriot missile batteries for its air defences after a telephone conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing disappointment at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to pursue a ceasefire.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump described his call with Zelenskyy as “good” but contrasted it with his discussion with Putin a day earlier, which left him “very unhappy” because, he said, the Russian president showed no willingness to halt the fighting.


On the question of Zelenskyy’s request for more Patriots, Trump replied, “They’re going to need them for defence … They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.” He also took a moment praised the US‑made interceptor as “pretty amazing.”

On the prospects for a truce, the US president said the situation remained “very tough,” adding that Putin “wants to go all the way, just keep killing people — it’s no good.”

Zelenskyy later wrote on Telegram, confirmed that the two leaders had agreed to boost Kyiv’s capacity to “defend the sky” amid escalating Russian attacks. He said they also discussed joint defence production along with cooperative purchases and investment.

Earlier in the week, US announced the suspension of certain key weapons deliveries to Ukraine that had been promised under President Biden’s administration. The decision was taken to prioritise national interests, following a Department of Defense review of America’s military aid commitments worldwide.

At the Nato summit, Trump discussed potential Patriot air defence missile system deliveries with President Zelenskyy, acknowledging their effectiveness: "They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots," Trump said then. "And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing".

Ukraine has repeatedly urged Washington to provide more Patriot systems, viewing them as critical shields for its cities against intensifying Russian air strikes. Kyiv had earlier warned that any pause in American arms deliveries would erode its ability to repel Russian missiles and stall battlefield gains.