President Trump is delaying delivery of Patriot missiles requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the reason goes beyond a simple shortage, according to Austrian colonel Markus Reissner.
Zelensky had asked for 300 Patriot missiles to help Ukraine survive the coming months and winter until it can produce its own interceptors, Reissner told the German outlet ntv.de. He said Ukraine's situation is extremely difficult: Zelensky reported that only one of 27 ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine overnight Saturday was intercepted.
European air defenses are little better off, Reissner said. Commenting on the French-Italian SAMP/T system, he said there are effectively no missiles available for it, and production has not increased significantly even in the war's fifth year. The United States, by contrast, produces 650 Patriot missiles a year and has signed contracts to triple that output in coming years.
A hidden reserve
Reissner said Washington keeps a large share of its arsenal in what he called a "blocking reserve," stockpiles deliberately withheld from allies so the US can repel several strikes if America or its key partners are attacked. He estimated this reserve at a triple-digit number of missiles, likely what Zelensky was hinting at. The CSIS institute found the US Patriot stockpile fell from about 2,300 to 800 since February, due to repeated Iranian attacks on US bases in the Persian Gulf. Even so, Reissner said Washington could technically still spare some missiles for Kyiv.
Pressure on both sides
Reissner said Trump is using the refusal to pressure Zelensky while also pushing the Kremlin toward negotiations, noting the US continues supplying intelligence and targeting data for strikes on Russia. He also pointed out that Zelensky was not allowed to meet Elon Musk during his Washington visit to discuss expanding Starlink use. Reissner said Trump wants to push both warring sides toward a truce before the November 3 congressional midterm elections, and that a chance exists because pressure is mounting on both sides. He said Russia cannot sustain Ukraine's ongoing attacks indefinitely, but warned winter will be harder for Ukraine than last year, since Russian strikes on infrastructure already prevent it from producing enough electricity. Ukraine has dropped all maximalist demands and no longer seeks to reclaim territory, he said, asking only for a ceasefire backed by security guarantees, something President Vladimir Putin has not yet accepted.
Trump has refused to supply the new Patriot missiles Zelensky requested; analysts say the US currently has only 759 of the most modern Patriot missiles. Congressman Mike Turner said the US is still negotiating with Ukraine over transferring technology to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. The US Department of War recently signed framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptor components and THAAD interceptors, which the Pentagon said would triple Patriot missile production and quadruple THAAD missile production.
