Germany, France and Norway each announced fresh commitments during a flurry of diplomatic visits and calls timed to coincide with Ukraine's Flag Day. Germany agreed to supply 600 PAC-2 Patriot interceptors over 2027-2028, France is due to deliver new air defense radars this fall, and Norway pledged a record NOK 85 billion (EUR 7.8 billion) in 2027 support along with a new strategic partnership deal.
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Zelenskyy said he had struck the Patriot deal with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after weeks of trying to close a gap between Ukraine's air force needs and available supply. He said Kyiv's military had asked for 360 interceptors under a winter aid package, but with global annual production capped at 600 units, securing that many is difficult. Ukraine is now looking elsewhere to fill the shortfall.
"I would very much like to believe we can obtain a small portion of American stockpiles — say 5 or 10 percent. We are ready to pay for these deliveries", Zelenskyy said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader also disclosed details of a two-hour call Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, saying the two discussed peace negotiations, SAMP/T air defense systems and the incoming French radars, with further systems possible depending on production.
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have been destroying Russian missile launchers, including an Iskander system near the border, as part of a deliberate strategy to offset a shortage of interceptor missiles.
"We hunt down the positions near us from which ballistic missiles are launched", he said, declining to detail the operations further for security reasons.
He estimated Russia's ballistic missile production at 600-630 units a year — well below its theoretical capacity of 1,300 — though output could climb toward 100 a month by late winter. He predicted Moscow will renew strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, particularly in Kyiv, once cold weather arrives.
Zelenskyy also said Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered commanders to seize the remainder of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by year's end, a target he called "impossible".
He said Moscow could commit 300,000 newly mobilized troops toward that goal or, if successful there, shift forces toward a buffer zone near Chernihiv and Kyiv using troops massing in Russia's Bryansk region — though he added Russia does not yet have enough soldiers in place there despite a visible military buildup along the border.
The German commitment came as Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul made a previously unannounced visit to Kyiv, arriving hours after air raid sirens sounded twice and explosions were reported near the capital in what monitors linked to a Russian ballistic missile strike.
Wadephul unveiled EUR 50 million in fresh humanitarian aid, channeled through U.N. and non-governmental groups serving Kyiv and front-line communities, plus another EUR 10 million for NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package, which funds decentralized power supplies for troops, hospital equipment and anti-drone systems.
Calling Germany Ukraine's largest bilateral donor, Wadephul pledged that support "will not diminish" and said he would press the case for a bigger American role when he meets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week.
"We need a willingness to look for unconventional solutions. We need support for Ukraine", he said, adding that the war's fallout, including disrupted grain exports, is being felt as far as Africa and the Middle East.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, appearing alongside Wadephul, credited Germany with leading efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air shield and said peace efforts have stalled without deeper U.S. engagement. "We need their maximum intensification", he said, adding that Kyiv has "creative ideas" to offer.
Zelenskyy later met Wadephul separately, thanking Germany for its role in preparing Ukraine's defenses for winter and saying the two also discussed finalizing a "Drone Deal" agreement in the near future, according to a social media post from the Ukrainian president.
Norway's contribution came via Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who told Zelenskyy his government would ask parliament to renew extraordinary aid at this year's level — NOK 85 billion (EUR 7.8 billion), split between 70 billion for military support and 15 billion for civilian needs.
"Supporting and rebuilding Ukraine is not just assistance. It is an investment in Europe's own security", Store said. Oslo and Kyiv were also due to sign a strategic partnership declaration Sunday, which Store said would put the relationship on "a long-term foundation".
Store's visit was part of a broader gathering of Nordic and Baltic leaders in Kyiv, ahead of a Monday meeting of the "coalition of the willing" — the group of nations coordinating military and financial support for Ukraine.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio, PAP