Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a Ukrainian delegation will travel to the United States for arms procurement talks. The main topics of the meetings include Patriot air defense systems and HIMARS artillery systems with ATACMS tactical missiles.
The head of state stated this during a briefing with journalists on October 10, which took place after Russia's massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Suspilne reports.
The agreements are part of a process of discussing Ukraine's purchase of weapons from the United States, which the president called the Mega Deal.
"The most important thing in this deal is the air defense systems. We are ready to buy them and are ready to implement various programs. PURL is one of them. There are also bilateral agreements. The partners understand that funds must be allocated for air defense systems, primarily American ones, but not only," Zelenskyy said.
The President announced that the Ukrainian delegation would first discuss the purchase of Patriot systems, which are already in service with Ukraine.
"We're receiving positive signals regarding the withdrawal of funds (frozen Russian assets – ed.). It's not the withdrawal itself, but a different scheme – through partner guarantees. I would very much like the UK to join the PURL program. We have a very strong and good relationship," the head of state noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized that the Ukrainian Defense Forces need weapons not only for defense but also for long-range strikes.
"You all know these names. They're HIMARS, ATACMS, and TOMAHAWK. We're not afraid to name them, but we don't want to drag out the conversation. We expect a positive response from the United States," the president said.
During the briefing, Zelenskyy also confirmed that Russia launched three waves of strikes on Ukrainian territory – using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, primarily targeting energy infrastructure.
