German Chancellor Urges U.S. to Expand Military Support for Ukraine Amid Renewed Patriot Missile Discussions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to align with the European Union’s ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities, particularly through the provision of additional missile defense systems.

During remarks at a conference in Rome on Thursday, Chancellor Merz emphasized the need for the United States to supply more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine — a request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated on several occasions. Merz stated he is in “close contact” with both the Trump administration and U.S. defense officials regarding the matter. He further noted that Germany is prepared to procure Patriot systems from the U.S. for the specific purpose of delivering them to Ukraine.

The call for increased U.S. support comes in the wake of a temporary suspension by the Pentagon earlier this month of certain air defense missile shipments to Ukraine. Those deliveries have since resumed, but no new aid packages have been formally approved under the Trump administration, which has been critical of providing assistance without clear reciprocal advantages.

Chancellor Merz acknowledged that the U.S. faces its own strategic requirements but insisted that “many systems” remain available and that discussions are ongoing at the defense ministerial level, although no final agreement has yet been reached.

Meanwhile, President Trump addressed the issue of additional Patriot systems, describing them as “rare and extremely costly,” with each battery valued at approximately $1 billion. He cautioned that U.S. production capacities may not meet the demand, stating, “It’s a shame that we have to spend so much money” and suggesting the U.S. cannot manufacture Patriot missiles at the scale currently required.

In response to Merz’s remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply criticized what he described as Germany’s pivot toward a military-first approach. “If Mr. Merz believes that the options for peace are depleted, he has likely chosen to fully commit himself to the militarization of Germany at the expense of his own people,” Lavrov said. He accused the German Chancellor of prioritizing Germany’s ambition to become Europe’s dominant military power over diplomatic resolutions to the conflict.

Moscow has consistently maintained that Western arms deliveries to Kyiv only serve to prolong hostilities without altering the fundamental trajectory of the war.