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“This cannot wait until 2030 or beyond,” the Ukrainian President stressed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned European allies during a July 7 security meeting in Ankara.
Speaking at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, as reported by UNITED24 Media, he said the continent remains dangerously exposed.
“The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defense against Russia’s ballistic missiles. It’s a big challenge, it’s true. This is Russia’s last major advantage. As we have seen from the wars in the Middle East and the Gulf, this is an issue of global importance. And I believe Europe urgently needs its own capability to produce anti-ballistic systems and the missiles they require,” Zelenskyy said.
Production must skyrocket
While Patriot systems work well, the global supply cannot match the threat. Zelenskyy explained that waiting for normal factory timelines is a luxury Europe does not have.
“We all value the Patriot system. It’s an excellent system, and there are others as well, but today’s wars have shown that current Patriot production is not enough to meet the growing demand for protection against ballistic missiles. That is a fact. And we must respond to it,” he urged.
Kyiv has asked the US for manufacturing licenses to build Patriot systems locally. Zelenskyy pressed NATO partners to support this, stating that waiting until 2030 is too late.
“Europe needs affordable, mass-produced anti-ballistic systems as soon as possible. In fact, today,” he added, noting that safety must override corporate profit.
Bringing pressure home
Zelenskyy stressed that his warning had nothing to do with maximizing profits for the industry or governments, but that it is simply a matter of providing the strongest possible protection for Europeans.
He stressed that this is not an issue for the future—the defense is needed now.
Meanwhile, Kyiv is looking at offensive options to force an end to the war. Speaking to the Financial Times, Zelenskyy suggested that long-range drone strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg could pressure Russian elites by forcing them to face the conflict firsthand.
