US to send another Patriot missile system to Ukraine amid calls for air defense
President Joe Biden has approved the move, officials said. This would be the second Patriot system the US has given to Ukraine, though the Pentagon has regularly provided an undisclosed number of missiles for the system.
The United States will send another Patriot missile system to Ukraine, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday, a response to Kiev’s desperate demand for more air defenses as it faces an intensifying Russian assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region.
President Joe Biden has approved the move, officials said. This would be the second Patriot system the US has given to Ukraine, though the Pentagon has regularly provided an undisclosed number of missiles for the system. Other allies, including Germany, have also provided air defense systems as well as ammunition for them.
Both US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been publicly announced. The decision was first reported by The New York Times.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month sought additional U.S.-made Patriot systems, arguing they would help his military fend off the roughly 3,000 bombs Russia fires at his country each month.
Speaking in Madrid, Zelensky said Ukraine still urgently needs seven other systems to protect against Russian attacks on power grids and civilian areas as well as military targets, including devastating glide bombs capable of causing mass destruction.
He said Ukraine needed two systems to protect Kharkiv, where Ukrainian troops are still present after Russia launched a cross-border invasion on May 10.
“If we had these modern Patriot systems, (Russian) planes would not be able to fly so close to drop (glide) bombs on the civilian population and the military,” Zelensky told a news conference in the Spanish capital.
The decision comes as defense leaders from the US, Europe and other countries prepare for their monthly meeting on Ukraine’s security needs. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host the meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
The US has regularly pressured its allies to provide Ukraine with air defence systems, but many countries are reluctant to commit high-tech systems – particularly Eastern European countries, which feel threatened by Russia.
The US is also wary of handing over large numbers of the documents because they are used to protect American forces and allies around the world.
Major General Pat Ryder told reporters on Monday that the meeting would also discuss Ukraine’s need for air defense.
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