European allies have provided and remain ready to to supply Ukraine with additional air defense systems, but the timing and scale of deliveries remain uncertain, Head of Ukraine’s Mission to NATO, Alyona Getmanchuk told Kyiv Post on the sidelines of the NATO defense minister summit in Brussels.
That is why, in the context of additional air defense capabilities, the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative – the purchase of American weapons is particularly important.
NATO member states are actively discussing options to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense network beyond the US-made Patriot systems, which remain in short supply.
“Some European countries can substitute certain American weapons with their own equivalents, but they cannot supply them in the same quantities or at the same speed,” she said.
“We’re not talking about future plans – this is already happening – but production capacity remains limited.”
European SAMP/T, IRIS-T, Gepard, and others have proven their effectiveness in protecting Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. However, production and delivery times remain a key issue. However, manufacturing and delivery timelines remain the key challenge.
The level and intensity of Russia’s massive attacks are such that we do not have the luxury of choosing between European or American options – we need a variety of things, a lot of them, and quickly.
“Unfortunately, SAMP/T production has not increased to the level we need,” the Getmanchuk said.
“Our partners can provide certain systems, but when I ask, ‘How many and when?’ the answers are often vague – ‘here yes, here no, we’re not ready yet.’”
Ukraine continues to rely on a combination of Western systems – including Patriots, NASAMS, and IRIS-T – to repel Russia’s missile and drone attacks.
“Europe is willing to help,” the representative said, “but timing remains the main issue.”