The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to prioritize replenishing America’s own ammunition stockpiles rather than sending munitions to other countries. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined this position when responding to a question about Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for additional interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems.

According to Leavitt, Trump has clearly defined Washington’s priorities regarding ammunition. The White House believes that the previous administration of Joe Biden transferred too much US ammunition to Ukraine and other countries. Since returning to office, Trump has therefore focused on rebuilding America’s own arsenal.

At the same time, the US administration maintains that its current stockpiles are sufficient to meet the military’s operational requirements. Leavitt said the United States has «more than enough» ammunition both at home and around the world to carry out any necessary mission.

Her remarks came after another request from Zelensky for Patriot missiles. In an interview with CNN, the Ukrainian leader said that receiving 5% of existing US stocks of Patriot interceptors would be enough for Ukraine to «get through the winter.»

Zelensky attributed the need for additional supplies to a sharp decline in Ukraine’s available air defense ammunition. According to him, Kyiv has two and a half times fewer interceptor missiles in 2026 than it had in 2025.

In July, the possibility of expanding Ukraine’s Patriot missile arsenal appeared more realistic. During a meeting with Zelensky in Ankara, Trump promised to grant Ukraine a license to produce missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense systems.

Trump later reversed that decision, explaining that the United States itself needs Patriot missiles.

Thus, Kyiv’s request for a portion of US Patriot interceptor stocks has run up against the priority set by the White House: the Trump administration intends to rebuild and preserve America’s own military arsenal rather than continue large-scale transfers of ammunition abroad.