Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United States this week to expand military support to Kyiv, a move he hopes will tip the scales in his country’s war against Russia. Washington has provided Ukraine with hundreds of billions worth of weapons throughout the four-year conflict, but has hesitated in recent months to approve new shipments of U.S. Patriot missile systems to Kyiv, despite Zelensky repeatedly lobbying for more arms support. In a letter to President Donald Trump written Monday, Zelensky pleaded for Patriot systems, reiterating his offer to buy the missiles and provide advanced drone technology to the U.S. as well, in exchange for military aid. Ukraine’s request comes after Trump has long expressed frustration over the protracted war, blaming both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting it, and pushing Europe to do more to rise to Kyiv’s defense.
“We understand that the United States keeps bearing responsibility for its own defense and for the protection of its allies and partners,” Zelensky wrote in a letter seeking to address Trump’s concerns. “And we agree that Europe must take on a greater role in guaranteeing its security. However, after all we have been through together, have we not earned a place among your allies?”
