Zelensky asks Trump for “winter package” with Patriot missiles in WSJ interview; Ukraine has destroyed 45% of Russia’s refining capacity

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he has asked U.S. President Donald Trump for a “winter package” of new military equipment, including Patriot missile defense systems and other technology, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In the interview, Zelensky said he expects the U.S. to pursue a deal to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. “I think he will try to negotiate an energy ceasefire,” he said, but warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not respond without new pressure, such as increased sanctions. With the elections behind him, Putin feels no pressure to change course, Zelensky added.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s drone strikes on refineries deep inside Russia have destroyed 45% of Russian refining capacity, roiling global energy markets. With oil prices rising — the U.S. average reached $6.53 per gallon on Tuesday — Trump has pressured Zelensky to stop hitting Russian refineries. “Our lives are more important than the price of energy,” he replied.

He singled out India, Turkey and especially China as backers of Moscow’s war economy; accused China of giving Russia technology — including Starlink-like communication capabilities — to test it for its own use, and said North Korea has sent troops fighting alongside Russia to gain battlefield experience.

“The situation on the battlefield is not successful for Putin, so he is not winning, that’s true,” Zelensky said — but added that Putin needs a victory to sell to his own society and could strike a NATO member to show the alliance has no power, calling this “bloody marketing.” Zelensky also confirmed his recent meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. On Wednesday he delivers his fourth in-person address to the General Assembly since the 2022 invasion.

Source: The Wall Street Journal