Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is using drones to test NATO’s response and evaluate the alliance’s air defense capabilities. He also called on the United States to expand anti-ballistic missile production, grant Ukraine licenses to manufacture Patriot missiles, and support a large-scale drone cooperation agreement.
Zelenskyy made the remarks in an interview with Face the Nation.
According to the president, Ukraine attempts to intercept all Russian drones, even when they are heading toward Romania, Poland, Moldova, or the Baltic states. When interception is not possible, Kyiv immediately warns its partners.
“Russia uses drones to pressure NATO countries and assess their response. This is their typical signal: do not help Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
He argued that the Kremlin is also testing the air-defense capabilities of NATO countries bordering Russia and Belarus.
The president separately highlighted the shortage of anti-ballistic missiles in the United States. He said he had sent letters to the White House and Congress urging an increase in production.
According to Zelenskyy, the current US output of approximately 60–65 anti-ballistic missiles per month is insufficient to meet today’s security challenges.
He again called on Washington to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture missiles for Patriot systems.
“We can increase Patriot missile production. It will help us. It will help the Middle East and any other country the United States chooses to support,” he said.
Speaking about the battlefield situation, Zelenskyy stated that Russia began losing the initiative in December 2025.
He said Ukraine informed its American partners as early as January 2026 that a “window of opportunity” for negotiations was emerging because Russian military losses were continuing to grow.
“Now they cannot occupy more territory in a month than we are able to liberate,” the president said.
Zelenskyy believes that a diplomatic path toward ending the war should be pursued before next winter. However, he stressed that this depends on Western sanctions pressure and developments inside Russia.
Commenting on a potential negotiation format, Zelenskyy named the E3 group — the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — as one possible European representation. He also highlighted Turkey’s role as a potential mediator.
The president stressed that easing sanctions on Russia would not contribute to peace.
“Lifting sanctions means helping Russian soldiers by helping Russia’s defense industry,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that the partial easing of certain restrictions had not resulted in any meaningful decline in global oil or gas prices, undermining arguments in favor of sanctions relief.
The Ukrainian leader also focused on the development of drone technologies. He said Ukraine had proposed a major Drone Deal with the United States covering cooperation on aerial, naval, and ground-based unmanned systems.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine already has similar agreements with several countries in Europe and the Middle East and is currently preparing a major Drone Deal with the European Union.
“American companies have advanced AI technologies that we do not possess. At the same time, we have extensive battlefield experience and capabilities that they do not have,” he said.
Zelenskyy expressed confidence that cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of drone technologies could become the strongest partnership of its kind in the world. He added that such an agreement would require approval from US President Donald Trump.
