YES Board statement: Defending Europe requires Patriot missiles – in Ukraine

Ukrainians face a brutal winter. Europeans do very much for Ukraine now, but must do even more, quickly. If Russia manages to destabilize Ukraine, our security is impacted. It is in Europe’s interest to make sure Ukraine survives the expected Russian onslaught this winter. It is in Europe’s interest to give as many Patriot interceptor missiles as possible to Ukraine. It is definitely in Europe’s interest to make sure Ukraine can continue to defend Europe successfully

The participants of our YES Annual Meeting conference on September 10-11 got a close look at Ukrainian reality on their way back to Poland. Right next to the border, close by, a train and a nearby gas station were hit by drones.

This is now Ukrainian’s daily life: Russian jet-powered drones destroy cities and kill people. They hit electricity plants, data centers, telecommunications, food logistics, homes and apartment buildings, gas stations, bridges. Civilians are murdered daily. The air alerts never stop.

Moscow’s goal is to make life in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities impossible this winter.

As Ukrainians slow down Russia’s war machine by destroying Russian refineries and logistics hubs, the Kremlin has turned to destroying Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. As Ukrainian soldiers win back territory, Russia targets deliberately Ukrainian civilian life. Brutality and war crimes were at the heart of Russia’s attack from the start. Now, under pressure, Moscow doubles down. Its strategy: terrorizing civilians.

The jet powered drones are a problem Ukrainian engineers work on solving, and say they are getting there. With European partners, this solution must be perfected and produced at mass quantities to match Russia’s.

But ballistic missiles are another question. They can, at the moment, be intercepted mostly by Patriot systems. Ukraine has almost none left, the US prioritizes replenishing its own stockpile, and Europeans stockpiles are also quite depleted.

Russia increases production of ballistic missiles and plans to use most when it will be cold.

If Kyiv’s electricity plants and heating plants are destroyed in subzero winter temperatures, not only will people freeze to death. Also, water pipes will freeze and break, impossible to restore quickly. Moscow tried this last year already.

Last winter was a close call for Kyiv. This winter will be an even closer one.

But Ukrainians are prepared and determined to persist.

Ukraine’s capital needs to remain able to function. This is not only of symbolic value, it is about the lives of millions. And as Ukraine’s security is right now the cornerstone of European security, Kyiv is the capital of European security.

Ukraine needs Patriot missiles for the winter. Europeans still have some. ‘But we need our limited stockpiles,’ Europeans might say. True. Europeans need their Patriot interceptors: but not in storage at home, but in Kyiv in order for the defense of Europe to succeed. As well as any other defense against ballistic missiles that Europeans can provide.

Europe has been stepping up its support each time Russia stepped up its assault. Here is a new, deadly challenge. We must rise to it, in our own interest. It is in Kyiv and Ukraine where the future of a Europe whole and free will be decided.

The YES Board statement, authored by Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland (1995-2005), Chairman of the YES Board; Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia (2016-2021); Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden (2006-2014), Prime Minister of Sweden (1991-1994), Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, member of the International Advisory Board of CFR - New York; Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland (2019–2023); Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference; Victor Pinchuk, Founder and Member of the Board, YES and Founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and EastOne group, and Stéphane Fouks, Executive Vice President, Havas Executive Chairman, H/Advisors was published in Die Welt on October 15, 2026.