ALBAWABA - U.S. President Donald Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House last week, where he rejected the latter’s request for Patriot missile shipments to Ukraine amid continued Russian attacks, according to the Financial Times.
June marks worst month of the war for Ukraine as Russian invasion drags on with no end in sightIn the White House meeting, Zelenskyy reportedly requested hundreds of additional interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system, which has proved to be the most effective system in combating Russian bombing campaigns across Ukraine.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump had categorically rejected Zelenskyy’s request ahead of the winter season, leaving U.S. ally Ukraine without any effective means of combating Russian ballistic missiles.
The sources added that Trump's reason for the rejection was limited American interceptor stockpiles, saying that the missiles are needed to protect American facilities in the Middle East.
The U.S. has used around 65 percent of its Patriot interceptor missile stockpile during its military campaign against Iran, according to a report by CNN.
Zelenskyy, foreseeing the rejection of direct interceptor missile shipments, has asked the U.S. for a license to produce the Patriot missiles in Ukraine – something which Trump is yet to make up his mind about.
