Two U.S. lawmakers who met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv said the United States should move to provide more Patriot air defence interceptors in response to a recent direct appeal from the Ukrainian president.
In a letter this week to U.S. President Donald Trump and members of Congress, Zelenskiy requested additional Patriot systems and interceptors, describing them as the only effective protection Ukraine has against Russia’s ballistic missile threat. Kyiv’s plea comes as officials report a renewed and intensified pattern of bombardment against the capital.
Russian authorities on Monday warned foreigners and diplomats in Kyiv to leave the city and announced plans to carry out "systematic strikes" on targets in the Ukrainian capital, increasing concern among Ukrainian and visiting officials.
Ukraine’s air force reported that in Sunday’s large-scale attack Russia fired 30 ballistic missiles against the country, of which only 11 were intercepted. Those figures underscore Kyiv’s argument that its current stock of interceptors and the speed of deliveries are inadequate to meet the threat.
Following his meeting with Zelenskiy, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the United States has historically responded to Kyiv’s requests for additional weaponry on several occasions, and expressed his expectation that Washington will do so again.
"My hope and expectation is that America will respond positively to this request,"
Blumenthal, speaking alongside Representative Jim Himes, a fellow Democrat, said both would work to lobby for more air defence interceptors and tougher sanctions on Russia upon their return to Washington. Blumenthal described their mission as ensuring Ukraine has the necessary means to defend itself.
"What we will regard as our mission, as we go back, is to make sure that Ukraine has the means to do the job."
The lawmakers noted that Ukraine has been acquiring Patriot missiles through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, with financing provided by European allies since President Trump took office. In his letter, Zelenskiy thanked the United States for its support but said the current pace of interceptor deliveries under PURL was not keeping up with the scale of the threat facing Ukraine.
Representative Himes, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said deliberations in Washington about further military support have been complicated by U.S. military commitments in another theatre. He said material currently being used in the Persian Gulf is needed for both U.S. defense and to supply Ukraine, and urged an end to that conflict.
"That conflict needs to be brought to a close yesterday for many reasons, including the fact that the material that is being used in the Persian Gulf right now needs to be used for our defense and needs to be provided to Ukraine,"
Both lawmakers indicated they would press for accelerated deliveries of interceptors and stiffer sanctions against Russia when they return to legislative discussions in Washington. The Ukrainian request, the reported missile attacks and Russia’s warning to foreign nationals underline the immediate security concerns shaping calls for a faster and more robust U.S. response.