Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has blamed a lack of political willingness in Washington for delays in delivering US-made Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, despite European allies having already paid for them. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Häkkänen said the funding is in place but politics is blocking the transfers, with winter approaching and Russia preparing huge attacks on Ukraine's civil and energy infrastructure.
Häkkänen's comments come as Ukraine faces a lack of Patriot interceptors ahead of winter. Under a NATO funding mechanism called the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), European allies and Canada purchase US-made weapons for Ukraine. Those weapons require final approval from the US Defence Secretary before they can be transferred.
"Winter is coming and Russia is preparing huge attacks on Ukraine's civil infrastructure, energy infrastructure," Häkkänen told Euronews. "Now is the most critical time to have all the air defence capabilities for Ukraine." He added: "We have the funding, now we need the stocks to be delivered to Ukraine. But we need the political willingness also from the US side to start the deliveries."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directly accused US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth of holding up the transfers. "We have been waiting for nearly a month for Mr Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriots," Zelenskyy wrote on social media in October.
Asked whether Hegseth was personally responsible, Häkkänen said he did not know what was behind the hold-up. "I'm not familiar with what is the main problem, but we know that the Ukrainians need Patriots," he said. "Europeans have given the funding for that and now it's only a matter of political arrangements."
A NATO source told Euronews that the alliance's military chief is trying to persuade seven other NATO countries to donate more from their own Patriot stocks, but those nations are reluctant without guarantees the US will replace what they provide. "I think it's merely a matter of production constraints," the source said.
A global shortage of Patriot systems compounds Ukraine's challenge. The US-Israel war in Iran has reportedly consumed vast quantities of US stockpiles. According to Ukrainian sources cited by Euronews, the US produces around 60-65 Patriot interceptors a month, far fewer than the number of ballistic missiles Russia launches. Demand also comes from Israel and Gulf states. US sources have told Euronews that the war in Iran may be about to resume, which may also be a reason Washington is retaining supplies.
Häkkänen expressed broad support for diplomatic efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion, including recent contacts involving Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He said Europe needs to deliver a straight message to Putin that it will never abandon Ukraine and is willing to be tough for as long as the war lasts. He warned that Russia is stepping up its military in all domains and that, while there is no conventional threat to the rest of Europe now, there could be in the future if EU countries do not step up deterrence.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Ukraine's air defence is critically short of Patriots as Russia escalates ballistic missile strikes on civilian infrastructure heading into winter, leaving millions vulnerable.
- The delay tests NATO solidarity and European trust in US commitments, particularly as Washington simultaneously pressures allies to spend more on defence.
- Production constraints and competing demands from Israel and Gulf states mean the Patriot shortage is structural, not temporary, raising questions about long-term support.
Background
Patriot interceptor missiles are produced in limited numbers by the US. For Ukraine, they are procured either through bilateral transfers from NATO members' stocks or via a NATO fund (PURL) where European countries pay the US to manufacture and deliver new missiles. But US law requires the Defence Secretary to sign a final export approval for each transfer, a step Zelenskyy says has been stalled for nearly a month. This impasse comes amid wider tensions between the Trump administration and Kyiv, including the rollback of Russian sanctions, calls for Zelenskyy's removal, and a temporary loss of access to the Starlink satellite system.
Key Perspectives
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen: Europeans have paid for the Patriots; now it is a matter of US political willingness to deliver them. He calls for a clear message to Putin that Europe will remain "tough" and will not abandon Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Directly blames US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for failing to sign off on the transfers, saying the delay makes Ukrainian civilians increasingly vulnerable to Russian ballistic missiles.
NATO source: The alliance's military chief is trying to get seven Patriot-owning nations to donate more, but they hesitate without US replacement guarantees, likely due to production constraints rather than political refusal.
US sources (cited by Euronews): The ongoing war in Iran may be about to resume, giving Washington a reason to retain its Patriot stockpiles rather than send them to Ukraine.
What to Watch
- Whether US Defence Secretary Hegseth or the Pentagon issues an official explanation or approval for the stalled transfers in the coming weeks.
- NATO's ability to secure additional Patriot donations from European allies, especially Germany, which has the largest European stockpile.
- Any shift in Russia's bombardment pattern as winter sets in, and whether Ukraine can maintain its air defence coverage without the delayed interceptors.