Zelensky pushes to speed up Patriot deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that an agreement to purchase Patriot air defense systems remains stalled despite having been approved "at the highest political level", AzerNEWS reports.

"The wait has taken too long," Zelensky wrote on X, adding that unresolved financial, legal, and technical issues continue to delay implementation. He said officials involved in the process are "personally responsible" for accelerating the deal and warned that further delays could lead to "serious personnel decisions," saying that he has "set a final deadline – one week for all preparatory steps."

"The funds from the €90B Ukraine loan European support package, along with our other financial resources, must be used as quickly as possible to fulfill the very tasks that ensure the protection of Ukrainian lives," Zelensky said. The comments came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and representatives of all 32 NATO member states visit Kyiv following a series of deadly Russian missile attacks.