Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that his country would stop hitting Russian oil refineries a key demand of US President Donald Trump if Washington provided Kyiv with powerful Patriot interceptor missiles.
Another alternative, give us Patriot missiles, we will find money, not just aid. The Trump administration on Friday green-lit the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the State Department said, but the Ukrainian president warned deliveries could take years.
Speaking to US broadcaster Fox News on Sunday, Zelensky said he had had “different and several” conversations with Trump and his team about the issue. “We said that if you want us not to attack Russia’s refineries, they have not to attack our energy system. Zelensky said if Washington provided the missile systems for one month Kyiv would cease attacks on Russian refineries for the same period. “I don’t have any concerns when I share the truth between partners,” he said.
The longest truce of the Ukraine war, limited to the eastern Kherson region, ended on Sunday after Russia refused the offer of an extension, Ukrainian officials said.
