The European Union has reached an agreement allowing Ukraine to purchase key components for Patriot air defence systems, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcoming the deal on a derogation granted by member states. The announcement coincides with a 50-country Ukraine Contact Group meeting at which the US undersecretary of defence, Elbridge Colby, urged European nations to maintain momentum in rearmament and support for Kyiv, warning they "must not slacken." Ukraine faces a critical shortage of Patriot interceptors — advanced surface-to-air missiles used to counter ballistic missile attacks — which its defence minister has warned Russia is actively exploiting, contributing to civilian casualties now at their highest level since May 2022.