The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine to help it defend against Russian air attacks; however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the delivery of these missiles could take “several years.”
According to the US State Department, the advanced “PAC-3 interceptor” missiles will be valued at $2.1 billion, with the full cost to be covered by Ukraine’s allies in Europe and Canada.
On Friday night, Zelenskyy once again urged the US to accelerate the delivery of the Patriot missiles. He stated that this is the only effective defense system capable of destroying Russia’s devastating ballistic missiles in mid-air.
This development follows a period of tension earlier this month between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. At that time, the US had eased certain sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with an agreement to purchase Russian diesel.
During that period, Trump remarked that Ukraine required new leadership to reach an agreement to end the war with Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having previously seized Crimea and parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
However, tensions between the two nations eased following a meeting between Zelenskyy and US representatives in Oslo on October 20. In a statement, the U.S. State Department said that this proposed sale would bolster U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing Ukraine’s defense capabilities and strengthening political and economic stability in Europe.
According to the statement, the purchase of the missiles will be funded through contributions from Canada, Germany, and Norway, the “Jumpstart” program, and funds provided under the European Union’s support loan for Ukraine.
The American company Lockheed Martin will serve as the prime contractor for this deal. The State Department noted that no U.S. government funds will be used for this sale.
Ukraine is in urgent need of these missiles; however, there is a global shortage of Patriot missiles—partly due to their use by the United States in conflicts, including those involving Iran.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the annual production of Patriot missiles is approximately 600. While the specific timeline for the production and delivery of these new missiles remains unclear, reports suggest the agreement involves the manufacture of new units rather than the supply of existing stock, making immediate delivery unlikely.
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had been awaiting U.S. approval for the supply of these critical missiles for about a month, noting that its stockpiles are rapidly depleting.
On Friday night, Zelenskyy welcomed the U.S. decision on X (formerly Twitter), while emphasizing that Ukraine needs these Patriot missiles “right now.”
According to Zelenskyy, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s vital energy infrastructure ahead of the winter season, carrying out more than 30 strikes on key components of the country’s power grid over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, in the American city of Atlanta, European diplomats refused to join the official group photograph during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, in protest against the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The meeting is being hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Addressing Lavrov during the meeting, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated, “I want to say directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: we all know who the aggressor is in this war.”
He also accused the Russian government of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine.
It is worth noting that in July, Trump stated that the United States had not agreed to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missiles itself—even though, just three weeks earlier, he had offered to grant Ukraine this right.
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