Key facts
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested additional Patriot missile defense systems from the U.S.
- Zelenskyy believes 5% of U.S. missile defense supply would suffice for winter.
- Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence suggested South Korea could provide sophisticated interceptors.
- Pence implied South Korea could improve its relationship with the U.S. by assisting Ukraine.
- North Korea has sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested additional Patriot missile defense systems from the United States during Pence's visit to Ukraine. Zelenskyy believes that 5% of the U.S. missile defense system's capacity would be sufficient to get Ukraine through the winter months. Pence suggested that allies, specifically mentioning South Korea, could potentially provide sophisticated interceptors to help address the U.S. supply shortage. He implied that such a contribution could help South Korea rebuild its relationship with the U.S., which has been strained following President Donald Trump's instruction to reduce joint military exercises with Seoul. Pence noted that North Korea has been providing troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. He also mentioned that U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker had previously indicated that production increases would not resolve the immediate shortage of missiles. Pence suggested that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung could step forward and make interceptors available for deployment in the Middle East or Ukraine.