"Dangerous days": Zelenskyi assesses prospects for Ukraine’s support ahead of US elections and reports delays with Patriot missiles

19.10.2026, 10:54 rubryka.com

Zelenskyi described the period leading up to the US midterm elections as "dangerous days." According to him, Ukraine's latest proposal involved halting strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure, as requested by the United States. In return, Kyiv expected to receive more Patriot missiles to protect against ballistic attacks.

At the same time, as the president noted, the American side primarily seeks a halt to Ukrainian strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure, particularly facilities involved in diesel production and supply. Zelenskyi claims that should such attacks continue, Ukraine might face restrictions from the US.

The interview with Bloomberg also addressed the ballistic attack on Kyiv on the evening of October 18. The publication confirmed that the Ukrainian side did not receive any warnings from its partners about this attack. Previously, Zelenskyi stated that Ukraine receives warnings about ballistic strike threats exclusively from the US.

The president also reported delays in deliveries of American interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. According to him, the United States agreed to transfer a portion of the weaponry for which Ukraine has already paid, but has not yet approved the delivery of the remaining missiles.

He also noted that the United States currently supplies Ukraine with only 12 Patriot missiles per month. According to the president, this amount represents a quarter of the volume Ukraine received during Joe Biden's presidency.

Despite current disagreements with the American side, Zelenskyi hopes that the situation may improve after the US midterm elections. He attributes the current escalation to political confrontation ahead of the vote, which he assesses as accompanied by particularly aggressive rhetoric.

Background

On July 13, during a speech in Paris at a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, Zelenskyi confirmed that he and President Trump reached an important agreement regarding licenses to manufacture Patriot systems. According to him, this agreement stands as historic.

Then, on July 22, Volodymyr Zelenskyi shared that Ukraine and the United States had already begun discussions on the joint production of interceptor missiles for Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.

On September 25, news emerged that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York, received a final decision granting Ukraine licenses to produce missiles for Patriot air defense systems.

Moreover, the President of Ukraine has repeatedly stated Ukraine's urgent need for Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of the winter period. Russia produces approximately 140 ballistic missiles monthly, whereas intercepting them under NATO standards requires twice as many interceptor missiles.

At the same time, Zelenskyi acknowledged that receiving such a quantity remains unrealistic. Even a monthly supply of 100 missiles, according to him, would pose a "huge challenge" for Ukraine.