Germany ready to pay for US-made Patriot systems for Ukraine

Germany is planning to purchase US-made Patriot air defence systems for delivery to Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday, as Kiev urgently seeks stronger aerial protection amid escalating Russian missile and drone attacks.

"I discussed this with President [Donald] Trump last Thursday and also asked him to supply these systems," Merz said at a Ukraine reconstruction conference in Rome.

The defence ministers of both countries are negotiating a possible deal, but no final decision has been made yet, Merz said.

The German leader noted that the US needed some of the available Patriot systems for its own defence, without specifying how many systems Berlin intends to purchase.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later, however, Germany has agreed to pay for two Patriot systems.

"Germany is ready to pay for two of them, there is already an agreement," Zelensky said in Rome. According to him, Norway has also pledged to purchase another Patriot system and deliver it to Ukraine.

This week, Trump, airing his discontent over Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to meaningfully engage in peace negotiations, said he had approved a delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine.

He later said that Ukraine's wish for an additional Patriot air defence systems would be evaluated.

Germany, which also uses the Patriots, has supplied several air defence systems to Ukraine, but the Patriots are considered to be the most modern and effective.

The system is able to intercept aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at a distance of some 100 kilometres and at a height of up to 30 kilometres.

Earlier, Merz pledged continued solidarity with Ukraine during the two-day meeting in Rome aimed to discuss ways to fund reconstruction as Russian attacks continue.

"Our support for your country is unwavering," Merz told Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, who also joined the gathering of Kiev's allies in the Italian capital.

Addressing Putin, the German leader said: "We will not give up."

Merz added: "Russia must understand that it will not prevail militarily."

Merz also appealed to Trump not to abandon Europe, as Washington's commitment to Ukraine's defence remains unclear following a series of U-turns since Trump returned to the White House in January.

"Stay with us and stay with the Europeans. We are on the same page. And we are looking for a stable political order in this world," Merz said.

Meanwhile Merz and Zelensky discussed stepped up arms coperation, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.

"I informed Friedrich about the past Russian attacks and told him about the interceptor drones that are already shooting down dozens of Shahed drones in one attack," Zelensky posted on social media.

At the meeting in Rome, he thanked Merz for his willingness to invest in the expansion of Ukrainian production.

According to a statement, the topics of the talks were the situation on the "battlefield," work with the allies and Ukraine's rapprochement with the European Union.

Zelensky emphasized that Russian troops had not achieved any successes on the front despite attacks which had resulted in many casualties.

The meeting in Rome took place in the context of the fourth reconstruction conference for the war-torn Ukraine. The Eastern European country has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three years with Western help.