Elena Teslova
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he discussed increasing supplies of Patriot missiles and expanding military cooperation with the US during talks in Kyiv with American Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.
Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Whitaker was accompanied by the commander of NATO's Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission, Curtis Buzzard.
The discussions focused on strengthening Ukraine's air defenses through additional interceptor deliveries for Patriot systems under the Patriot Rapid Urgent Response (PURL) initiative, he said.
"This is a key priority right now, because massive Russian strikes are not stopping. We also discussed the bilateral defense partnership between the US and Ukraine -- the implementation of President Trump's decision in Ankara to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriots, as well as the Drone Deal," he said.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov said he held a "productive" meeting with Whitaker, during which they discussed the same topics.
