Finland says US delay on paid-for air defense missiles now a political issue
European leaders have funded Patriot interceptors for Ukraine, but Washington has not signed off on the transfer, leaving Kyiv waiting.
By Tomas Rahman ·
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen says Europe has paid for air defense missiles that the United States is holding back.
Häkkänen told Euronews that political factors in Washington are preventing the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine. He stated that the money is already in place from European allies. The only missing piece is the American government's decision to release the stock.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine has waited nearly a month for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign the order. No official reason for the pause has been given to Kyiv. Zelenskyy noted that the average monthly delivery for Patriot systems in 2026 stands at just 12 missiles.
Häkkänen said he is not sure exactly who in the US administration is responsible for the holdup. He described the situation as a matter of political arrangements rather than a technical or financial problem. "Ukrainians need Patriots," he said. "Europeans have given the funding for that and now it's only a matter of political arrangements."
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara recently asked the E5 nations, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Italy, to transfer 10% of their own interceptor stockpiles. He proposed a swap where these countries give missiles now in exchange for future deliveries that Kyiv expects to receive.
A NATO source told Euronews that the supreme allied commander Europe is urging seven member states to share more missiles from their reserves. Those countries are hesitant to release their stocks without a guarantee that the US will replace what they provide. Häkkänen added that now is the most critical time for Ukraine to have full air defense capabilities.
