Former Vice President Mike Pence and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday stressed the importance of Ukraine having the capabilities to deter Russian ballistic missile strikes. 

During an interview on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday," Pence said Russian forces have "shifted" to using high-arc ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to strike Ukraine. 

Those weapons require Patriot interceptors or terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD) interceptors, the former vice president noted. Pence on Sunday addressed the National Prayer Breakfast in Ukraine and spoke with Zelensky.

"And President Zelensky again reiterated to me what he said publicly, that he's anxious to see the United States make up to 5 percent of our Patriot resources available to make it possible for Ukraine to beat back those ballistic missile attacks," Pence told host Chris Stirewalt. 

"Stopping those ballistic missile attacks essentially will in many ways take the last fighting tool out of Vladimir Putin's hands," he said, referring to the Russian president.

While President Trump granted Ukraine a license to co-produce Patriot missiles in July, analysts have emphasized it will take years before the eastern European country is able to produce a suitable amount of those weapons.

Also complicating matters is the fact that the U.S. has exhausted nearly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors and roughly half of its Patriots during the Iran war, CNN reported earlier this month.

Pence, though, denied Sunday that the Pentagon depleting its interceptor stockpiles is hurting Ukraine. 

"I don't see it that way, and I don't think … the Ukrainians do either," Pence told host Dana Bash on CNN's "State of the Union."

July marked the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Zelensky said Sunday he briefed Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in Kyiv on Russia's "ongoing ballistic missile terror."

The Ukrainian leader wrote on social media: "It is very important for Ukraine to have the capabilities to counter this, and implementing the decision to grant licenses for the production of Patriots could significantly help."

Pence echoed Zelensky's rhetoric, saying it is "essential" for the Trump administration and other foreign allies to continue backing Ukraine militarily. 

Without further assistance, an "unprotected" Ukraine will be at risk of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure sites as the winter approaches, the former vice president stated. 

"President Zelensky made it clear to me that Putin is going to use those ballistic missiles to strike, particularly not just like he did at a children's hospital this week and not just as he did it at … a shopping mall this week," Pence told Stirewalt. "But he'll use that to take out the energy infrastructure here as winter approaches."

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