U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot air defense systems after speaking with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, and also expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to end the fighting, Reuters reported.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had had a good conversation with Zelensky, reiterating that he was "very unhappy" with the from his call with Putin a day earlier, given what he called the Russian leader's refusal to work for a ceasefire.
When asked if the United States would agree to provide additional Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as Zelensky requested, Trump said: "They're going to need them for defense. They're going to need something because they're getting hit pretty hard." Trump touted the effectiveness of the Patriot missiles, calling the weapon "pretty incredible."
When asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Trump said "the situation is very complicated." "I was very unhappy with my conversation with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people - that's not good," he added.
Ukraine is asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems, which it sees as key to protecting its cities from increasing Russian air strikes.
Washington's decision to halt some arms deliveries to Ukraine has prompted warnings from Kiev that the move would weaken its ability to defend itself from Russian air strikes and worsen its position on the battlefield.
Trump said he had also spoken to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about Ukraine's request for Patriot missiles, but that no decision had been made on their delivery.
In his video address tonight, Zelensky said he and Trump had agreed to "organize a meeting between our teams to strengthen air defense defense“. “We had a very detailed discussion about joint production. We need it, America needs it,“ he added.
The conversation took place a day after Trump said he had a disappointing conversation with Putin.