EU countries must urgently source air defense interceptors for Ukraine, Kallas says

European Union member states must urgently find additional interceptor missiles for Ukraine's air defense systems, including from existing stockpiles held by certain nations, Report informs, citing EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas who spoke ahead of an informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Ireland.

"The main issue is air defense. They are lacking interceptors. We know that some of the countries have interceptors that will expire soon. So it would be very good if those would be given to Ukraine so that they can use them to protect their people," Kallas told reporters.

According to her, the EU is also conducting talks with countries outside the bloc to source additional missiles for Ukrainian air defense. In parallel, Brussels is working to scale up European production of interceptors, including joint efforts with Ukraine.

Kallas also stated that EU defense ministers will press to unblock the European Peace Facility (EPF), which she noted currently has approximately 6.6 billion euros frozen. She added that if the mechanism is unblocked in the coming days, many member states have already expressed readiness to channel reimbursed funds back to Ukraine.

"So that would also mean a lot of new measures, new funding for the air defence, for the capabilities that Ukraine needs," she said.

At the same time, Kallas emphasized that today's meeting of ministers is informal and does not entail immediate decision-making. Therefore, discussions will likely focus on identifying specific sources for missiles and exerting political pressure on nations holding the required inventories.

The severe shortage of interceptor missiles, particularly for American Patriot systems, has become a central theme in European discussions regarding support for Ukraine. European Commission representatives indicated their intention to persuade countries holding large stocks of such missiles, specifically Greece and Spain, to transfer part of their munitions to Kyiv.

Spain previously stated its intention to transfer five Patriot missiles to Ukraine. However, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that Greece is resisting pressure to supply Kyiv with one of its six Patriot systems, maintaining that they are essential for protecting Greek airspace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in August that Kyiv requires between 300 and 360 Patriot missiles to protect the country this winter. According to him, Ukraine is currently receiving only about 1% of the required interceptor volume, with its stockpiles two and a half times smaller than in 2025, even as Russia has increased its inventory of ballistic missiles.

The shortage is further compounded by constrained global Patriot reserves. According to Reuters, demand for these missiles has surged sharply due to the war in Ukraine and conflict with Iran, significantly depleting US and allied stockpiles. The US and European nations are discussing production increases, including potential missile manufacturing outside the United States.