Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Kyiv is ready to buy 10 Patriot air defense systems from the US for $15 billion.

"One system costs $1.5 billion, we are ready to buy, and we need at least 10 systems to close off some cities, only civilians, city centers, where there are crowds of people. We [i.e. Ukraine] are ready to pay this 15 billion [dollars]. We will find this money, we will all pay," Zelenskyy emphasized in an interview with CBS News.

Also, the Ukrainian leader said that he had requested a license from the administration of US President Donald Trump to produce Patriot systems and missiles for them.

“We wanted to pay for it, have licenses, and then figure out how and in what terms we will be able to build a full-fledged system of closing off our skies,” Zelenskyy noted, Novyny Ukrayiny reports.

According to him, there are countries where Patriot systems are deployed, but military operations are not being carried out there.

Zelenskyy added that these systems can be transferred to Ukraine.

“We are even ready to lease them—knowing that if there is any challenge in this or that country, if they need to be returned very quickly, we will return [them],” the Ukrainian president emphasized.