The United States on Friday said it had agreed to sell hundreds of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, after the country’s president pleaded with Washington to boost his depleted weapons supply.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long pressed the Trump administration to sell Patriot interceptors, which are a valuable component of Kyiv’s air defense against Russia. He has accused Washington of delaying weapons deliveries out of spite, suggesting “some political decision has been made to slow down support for us.”
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that shipments have been delayed because there is a limited interceptor stockpile that many countries are competing for. However, this week, Zelensky got his request, with the State Department announcing it would send around $2.1 billion worth, or 500 interceptors, to Ukraine.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the State Department said. “There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.”
It could take years for the missiles to actually reach Ukraine, according to Zelensky. He praised the Trump administration for approving the sale in a post to X, but warned it had “been stipulated that deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS.”
Weapons sales typically take years to fulfill, and the missiles being sent to Kyiv have yet to be manufactured, with deliveries not set until the 2030s, according to Reuters. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense is encouraging the Pentagon to bring forward the delivery date, possibly by giving Kyiv missiles already in the U.S. arsenal and backfilling with the new Patriot interceptors, per the outlet.
“We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors,” Zelensky said.
Rubio has sought to allay Zelensky’s accusations that the U.S. could be slowwalking shipments because it is upset at Ukraine.
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“I know one of the things that President Zelensky has been talking about is that he’s been trying to buy interceptors, and I understand,” Rubio said in October. “So does every other country in the world.”
“When a country doesn’t get interceptors from the United States, it’s not because we’re denying,” he continued. “We have our own needs too. We have minimum standards that we have to meet internally in our base presence all over the world, that includes in our bases in Europe, as an example.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
