Germany's Merz spoke with Trump about buying Patriots for Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to advocate for the transfer of Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, according to a government spokesperson.

The conversation came as Washington paused shipments of key weapons, including 30 Patriot missiles, due to low stockpiles—raising alarms in Kyiv about weakened defense capabilities.

Germany, already a major donor to Ukraine, is exploring options to purchase Patriots from the U.S. and send them directly to Ukraine. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to visit Washington to further discuss the initiative, which includes shortening delivery timelines.

Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy also contacted Trump to address urgent air defense needs, following Russia’s most extensive drone attack on Kyiv since the war began.

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