US approves $2.1 billion Patriot sale to Ukraine
The State Department cleared the sale of 500 Patriot interceptors paid for by allies and an EU loan, but Ukraine warns deliveries could take years.
The US State Department has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles to Ukraine, along with related equipment and support, at an estimated cost of $2.1 billion. Ukraine has long said it urgently needs more interceptors to defend its cities and power grid against Russian ballistic missiles.
The department said no US money is involved. The purchase will be paid for with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway through a US program that uses allies' donations to buy weapons for Ukraine, together with Ukrainian funds financed by a European Union loan. Lockheed Martin is the main contractor.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision as strong, but said deliveries may begin only in a few years. He asked US and European partners to supply missiles from existing stockpiles now and replace them later through the new contracts. People briefed on the deal told reporters the new missiles have yet to be built.
The approval comes during a tense period between Kyiv and Washington, after President Donald Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel and criticized Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries. Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, including a strike on a rail platform in Dnipro this week that killed more than a dozen people.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.