U.S. Approves Sale of 500 Patriot Missiles to Ukraine in $2.1 Billion Package
The State Department has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion - paid for entirely by Canada, Germany, Norway and European Union-backed funds, with Lockheed Martin as principal contractor and delivery likely years away.
The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, the State Department said Friday - a package Kyiv had sought for almost a month as Russia stepped up attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure. The advanced interceptors are the missiles Ukraine uses against Russian ballistic missile strikes, and the BBC described them as the only effective weapon for that task.
No American money pays for them. Ukraine will pay with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through the U.S. JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan, the State Department said. Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale, and the department said the proposed sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe.
Approval is not arrival. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned the missiles may take several years to reach Ukraine, because the order is for newly manufactured interceptors rather than missiles drawn from existing stock - and U.S. production runs at about 600 Patriot interceptors a year, against demand from many countries. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that Ukraine had been waiting almost a month for Washington to sign off on the critical supplies.
