Zelenskyj on Patriot robots: "We ask for the absolute minimum"

BRUSSELS. While the USA's Donald Trump turns his back on Ukraine, the EU promises continued support so that the war-torn country can survive the winter. Sanctions against Russia remain in place, says EU summit leader Ursula von der Leyen. An excerpt from Dagens Nyheter, 2026-10-16 19:16 Original address of the article: https://www.dn.se/varlden/zelenskyj-om-patriotrobotar-vi-ber-om-absolut-minimum/ BRUSSELS. While the USA's Donald Trump turns his back on Ukraine, the EU promises continued support so that the war-torn country can survive the winter. Sanctions against Russia remain in place, says EU summit leader Ursula von der Leyen. You know you can create a free account on DN? As a logged-in user you can access several smart features. At the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyj participated. He asked for help to get through the tough winter months. – We see no signs from Russia that they are ready to end the war. Therefore, we must prepare for the winter. This applies to the economy, energy, and weapons, says Zelenskyj. Air defense robots are particularly on the wish list. – Most (American) robots are currently being sent to the Middle East. We are not prioritized. This is an open secret, said Zelenskyj at a press conference during the EU summit. According to Zelenskyj, the European countries have enough in stock to cover Ukraine's urgent needs, also without the USA's help. – We ask for the absolute minimum. And Europe will support us, but I do not yet know exactly how many, he said. Sweden also has Patriot robots in stock, but they are assessed to be needed for the Swedish defense. It has been a turbulent week for the Ukrainian president. In a series of developments and decisions, Donald Trump has met with Russia. The American president accuses Ukraine of attacking Russian infrastructure, leading to higher energy prices in the USA. According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe also stands behind the USA's demands for an end to the cessation of attacks on refineries and other infrastructure. – But we have seen that Russia did not respect this, but escalated. Therefore, we must increase pressure on Russia. We will not ease any sanctions until Russia stops the war, she said. Trump has concluded a "diesel deal" with Russia and revoked the USA's sanctions on Russian energy. At the same time, Elon Musk's satellite service Starlink has been restricted in Ukraine, which has affected the country's defense capabilities. Zelenskyj said in an interview in the week that he felt "betrayed". – We did not know about the agreement between Russia and the USA. We should know about the kinds of things concerning our enemy that kill our people, said Zelenskyj in Brussels. The least the USA can do is to contribute air defense robots so that Ukraine can defend its infrastructure during the period when the Russian-American diesel agreement is in effect, he said. – But we have not received that. It looks strange. In a direct question about whether Zelenskyj believes that Trump wants to make him a scapegoat for American energy prices and the poor opinion before the American midterm elections, the Ukrainian president replied with silence – and a meaningful smile. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the EU leaders at the summit have stated that the USA under Trump is a key partner regarding support for Ukraine. – We in Europe want a USA that wholeheartedly stands up for Ukraine, but that is not always the USA we see, he said. – There is also a great respect that the USA has assets that are extra important for Ukraine, such as intelligence. So we understand that Ukraine is very keen to cultivate that relationship, he continued. Read more: Conflict in Brussels over the EU's climate policy – several countries want to allow more emissions