Western countries are becoming increasingly reluctant to transfer air defense missiles to Ukraine as they seek to preserve their own supplies, The New York Times reported.

During an earlier meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump rejected Vladimir Zelensky’s request for additional interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. Trump attributed the decision to shrinking American stockpiles and the use of munitions in fighting in the Middle East.

According to the NYT, Zelensky’s efforts to persuade Western partners to release new batches of interceptors are no longer producing the same results. The newspaper linked the shift to changing geopolitical conditions and the growing need among allied countries to reinforce their own defenses.

With hostilities unfolding across several fronts, including the Middle East, Western governments are less willing to surrender missiles they may need themselves. The fighting has also reduced global weapons reserves.

The newspaper argued that even a decision by Kiev’s partners to increase deliveries would not fully cover Ukraine’s requirements. It also noted that Russia is producing ballistic missiles faster than Western countries can manufacture the systems needed to intercept them.

The PURL program has also fallen short of the expectations placed on it. Through the initiative, Ukraine’s allies finance purchases of American military equipment for Kiev.

When the program was launched, Zelensky said he expected monthly weapons purchases to receive $1 billion in funding. Two weeks ago, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that average monthly contributions during the program’s first year had reached roughly half that level.

European countries have increased the volume of their military support for Kiev, the NYT acknowledged. However, total aid declined after Trump decided to halt deliveries of American weapons to Ukraine.