Patriots "on loan": Zelensky wants to borrow 10–30 PAC-3s from partners

The “swap places in the queue” idea

President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to discuss with some partners temporarily providing Ukraine with 10–30 Patriot missiles, to be returned later from the US package of 500 PAC-3 missiles. He told Ukrainian journalists in Istanbul, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing Interfax-Ukraine.

“Several times during this war, in various dialogues, we have done an operation where you swap places in the queue. I will try to do this with some partners: out of that package of 500, we could take 10, 20, 30 from someone, sign the relevant guarantees and agreements, and then return them from the American package with some interest or maybe without interest,” the president explained.

Why waiting is not an option

On 30 October the US State Department approved a possible sale to Ukraine of 500 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors, with spare parts and logistical support, worth an estimated $2.1 billion. According to The Kyiv Independent, the purchase would be financed by Canada, Germany and Norway through the JUMPSTART programme, with additional Ukrainian funds supported by the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan. Congress generally has 30 days to review such a sale.

The problem is timing. Zelensky said deliveries under the US offer are postponed by several years because of production constraints and the rather slow willingness of the US to share missiles from its stocks. Media reports cited by Ukrainska Pravda say deliveries are not expected before 2030. Yet the missiles are needed this winter to protect the energy system from Russian strikes. On the night of 1 November alone, air defence shot down or suppressed 371 Russian drones, the Air Force said.

The president also noted that a significant share of air defence packages is now going to the Middle East.

“A very good offer”, but money is needed

“We are grateful to the United States of America. It is a very good offer. Of course, we need to raise money for it. I am sure we will find the finances thanks to our partners, European ones first of all,” Zelensky said. Ukraine, he added, will keep seeking air defence through bilateral agreements with European and other countries, because relying only on US deliveries is not enough.

He had earlier urged the US and its partners to provide interceptors from existing stockpiles and replenish them later through the new contracts. “We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

NATO: PURL deliveries are not delayed

On the same day NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, said, according to Bloomberg, that Washington continues to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles and weapons bought under PURL. “Everything has been delivered, in fact, we just had the delivery within the last week,” he said, adding that no items in PURL packages paid for by European allies had been delayed.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the US decision to sell the missiles “a very positive step”.

What next

The US Congress has to review the sale, and Kyiv has to agree with specific partners on “borrowing” missiles. The president did not name the countries Ukraine will approach.