The United States will increase production of Patriot missiles in 2027, and Ukraine expects larger deliveries of these anti-ballistic projectiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this at a press conference in Kyiv.

One sentence from his statement matters, and it is not about the weapons. Zelensky said Ukraine will need those systems even if the war ends. A president who simultaneously hopes for the end of the war and plans air defence for the period afterwards - that is not a contradiction, that is sobriety. And it says far more about the peace he expects than any diplomatic communiqué.

Zelensky also announced upcoming meetings in Norway and Canada to strengthen Ukraine's defence capacities, saying he was confident the goal would be reached as quickly as possible. He mentioned that Germany is increasing production of missiles for the same system, because German manufacturers hold the necessary licences and separate agreements with Kyiv.

2027 is closer than it sounds, and further away than it should be

The date is what to keep in your head. Not next month, not next year - 2027. Which means even the most optimistic scenario has Ukraine spending another full year with what it has now. Western military industry was built over decades for a peacetime tempo, and now has to catch the rhythm of a war in which missiles are spent faster than they are made.

Which makes the statement an admission. The problem is not political will. The problem is factories, licences and waiting lists - things no summit solves with applause.

For a region that leans on imported energy and other people's defence umbrellas, this is a reminder rarely said out loud: defence is not bought when you need it. It is ordered years in advance, or it is not obtained at all.