Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tied a possible monthlong halt in attacks on Russian oil refineries to a U.S. supply of Patriot missiles, making air-defense needs central to his offer.
In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Zelensky said Kyiv had discussed the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump and his team. He said Ukraine wanted Russia to stop attacking its energy system. Zelensky proposed that if the United States supplied Patriot interceptors for a month, Ukraine would suspend refinery strikes for that same month.
“Give us Patriot missiles, we will find money, not just aid,” Zelensky told Fox News. Asked whether the offer was intended to pressure Trump, he said he had no concern about telling partners the truth.
Trump has called on both sides to stop targeting energy sites. Agence France-Presse (AFP) linked the demand to U.S. inflation pressures and high energy prices, which its report connected to the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine uses Patriot systems against Russian drones and missiles. Ukrainian authorities have warned in recent weeks that the country’s supplies are dwindling. The U.S. State Department said Friday the Trump administration approved a sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Zelensky warned that deliveries could take years. Last week, he suggested the United States and European allies could transfer missiles from existing stocks and replenish them with the newly approved purchase.
EconoTimes previously reported Zelensky’s estimate of Ukraine’s average monthly Patriot deliveries, which he put at 12 U.S.-supplied missiles in 2026.
A ceasefire limited to eastern Kherson ended Sunday after Russia declined to extend it, Ukrainian officials said, according to AFP. Talks between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States, are expected to resume in November. AFP reported that negotiations had been frozen since the United States and Israel began joint strikes on Iran in February.
