Finland calls on US to show "political willingness" and hand over already paid-for missiles to Ukraine

What Happened

Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen accused the United States of lacking political will, saying European countries have already financed Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine but US political factors are blocking delivery. He stated: 'We have the funding, now we need the stocks to be delivered to Ukraine. But we need the political willingness also from the US side to start the deliveries.' President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously reported that Ukraine has been waiting nearly a month for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems, with no official explanation for the delay. A NATO source told Euronews that the supreme allied commander Europe is urging seven member states to provide Ukraine with more missiles from their own stockpiles, but those countries are reluctant without guarantees that the United States will replace what they provide. In related background, Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara called on the E5 countries—Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Italy—to consider transferring 10% of their stockpiles of interceptor missiles for Patriot and IRIS-T systems to Ukraine in exchange for future deliveries, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine has been receiving an average of only 12 Patriot missiles per month in 2026.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The dispute exposes a bottleneck in Western air-defence support for Ukraine: European allies have provided funding, but US political approval controls the release of Patriot and NASAMS interceptors. If the delay persists, Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missile and drone strikes could degrade at a time when Zelenskyy says Kyiv is receiving only 12 Patriot missiles per month. The public Finnish criticism also signals European frustration with Washington and highlights concerns about stockpile replenishment guarantees, which are deterring seven NATO members from transferring their own missiles.

Watch For

Watch for a formal US decision or explanation on the delayed Patriot and NASAMS transfers, and any response from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Häkkänen's criticism. Monitor whether the seven member states approached by NATO's supreme allied commander agree to supply missiles, likely contingent on US replenishment guarantees. Also watch the E5 countries—Germany, the UK, France, Poland, and Italy—for any decision on transferring 10% of their Patriot and IRIS-T interceptor stockpiles, and any updated Ukrainian monthly delivery figures.