Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte , february 3, 2026 in Kyiv to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. The talks focused on expanding the PURL initiative and ensuring rapid delivery of additional Patriot missiles.
President Zelenskyy highlighted Russia’s disregard for previous U.S.-led efforts and its failure to honor promises to refrain from attacks on critical energy and infrastructure sectors during negotiation team meetings.
“Today, Russia carried out a record-breaking strike a brutal strike, no doubt in terms of ballistic missile use. There were 28 cruise missiles and 43 other missiles of various types approaching their targets along ballistic trajectories that can only be intercepted by Patriot systems,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that today’s Russian attack violated all agreements with the United States and cannot go unanswered.
“Everyone can see the weather conditions: we are experiencing the harshest and coldest days of this winter. Targeted attacks on infrastructure, especially on our energy system, aimed at depriving the population of electricity and heating, reflect Russia’s stance in the current situation. We remain in contact with the United States on this matter, and I expect our partners not to remain silent in the face of these actions,” he added.
During the meeting, Zelenskyy and Rutte discussed the rapid delivery of missiles for Patriot systems and the involvement of additional partner countries in the PURL initiative, which facilitates the procurement of rare U.S. missiles for air defense.
“In the face of ballistic threats, the most effective systems – as you know – are the Patriots. This means more missiles are needed for Patriots, and deliveries must be timely and sufficient. We are working on this. I am grateful to Mark for his valuable support in this effort. We discussed it today and I hope we can implement everything agreed upon,” Zelenskyy said.
The talks also addressed obtaining European licenses to produce necessary defense assets, including missiles for U.S. air defense systems, and coordinating efforts with partners to maintain Euro-Atlantic cooperation.
“Current partner stockpiles must truly meet defense needs. What we can produce together which is nearly all Europe requires must be produced to the maximum. We must reach this level of cooperation, particularly through programs like the SAFE instrument. And, of course, we will continue closely coordinating our efforts to maintain effective relations with the United States,” Zelenskyy added.
Mark Rutte emphasized NATO’s ongoing support for Ukraine and highlighted backing for the Ukrainian defense industry through direct investments and joint production projects.
“NATO stands with Ukraine today and in the years to come, not only because we share common values, but because our security is interconnected. We support your sovereignty, security, and pursuit of peace. We all want to see the war end justly and sustainably, and we are committed to providing the necessary resources to defend today and ensure a lasting peace for the future,” the NATO Secretary General said.
Rutte also stressed that Ukraine must receive reliable security guarantees and military support from its partners.
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