Ukraine has no alternatives to US air defence systems, says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has no alternative to military assistance from the United States because there is a limited amount of air defence systems and their American analogues worldwide, particularly the Patriot systems.

Source: Zelenskyy during the press conference following the Ukraine.Year 2024 conference

Quote: "When discussing American assistance, we must understand that it is not a question of financial reserves – it is about weapons. The majority of these funds are weapons, so you understand what the outcome [of the US supplies] will be. I don't have a reserve here; we have the weapons that we have. 

We will seek other opportunities to buy weapons, secure additional funds and loans, pressure our partners, and ask them insistently. It's about specific packages of weapons. For example, a Patriot system costs US$1.5 billion, but you won't be able to buy it without the US [approval]. That's the answer – can we strengthen Ukraine's air defence without the US? No. 

There are no equivalent systems in the world. What exists as an alternative is in low quantities, so when we discuss an alternative to US assistance or money – we'll find the money, but we won't find that amount of weapons."

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