Why U.S. has no Patriots for Ukraine — and expects Europe to step up

The U.S. is also the sole producer of the system and its interceptor missiles in the short term, Defense Express reports.

Still, Washington insists it has no systems to spare for Ukraine and is instead urging NATO allies in Europe to step up — a stance fully aligned with the logic of the new security reality.

During recent Senate hearings, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. lacks additional Patriot systems to send to Ukraine but will seek to source them from European partners. The statement raised eyebrows, given that the U.S. leads the alliance in Patriot capacity and production.

As of 2023, the U.S. operated 60 Patriot batteries, with plans to expand to 80. Yet even that number has proven insufficient, with Washington temporarily relocating systems from South Korea to the Middle East in early April amid rising tensions with Iran — a move tied to Trump-era pressure tactics over the stalled nuclear deal.

Defense Express writes that this illustrates how the U.S. is now stretched across multiple global fronts — from deterring North Korea to containing Iran — making simultaneous support for partners increasingly difficult. In Europe, most countries willing to provide Patriots have already done so. The Netherlands recently failed to assemble a coalition to transfer a full system, ultimately delivering only part of one — a radar and three launchers. Greece, with just six PAC-2 batteries of limited capability against ballistic threats, is reportedly under U.S. pressure to provide at least one system to Ukraine.

But the Biden administration’s logic appears rooted in a clear principle articulated in February during a Ramstein-format meeting by then–Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: European security problems should be handled by Europe. That mindset is now being implemented in real time, as the U.S. pivots its military posture from European readiness to Indo-Pacific operations.

In this worldview — especially among Trump-aligned policymakers — any European need for weapons should be addressed by Europe itself. At best, the U.S. may be willing to sell additional missiles or upgrade systems — for a price.

A telling reflection of this shift came from Donald Trump himself, who stated bluntly that he isn’t concerned about Russia building up forces near Finland and Norway. Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia? Also not his concern. The message, increasingly, is that Europe must listen — and take responsibility.

• Ukraine has received exactly half of the additional Patriot batteries it requested a year ago as part of its overall defense needs, but the issue here is not just the quantity of SAM systems.