The missiles will be used to resupply previously supplied Patriot air defense systems and are part of a package that also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), and additional equipment to integrate air defense launchers, missiles and Western radars on Ukraine’s existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to earlier Soviet-era systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted on the need for more weapons, namely long-range missiles and air defense systems, including “at least seven” Patriot.
This additional support from Washington, which represents 6 billion dollars, is announced in the same week that the United States Senate approved, after months of blockade, a new military aid package of 61 billion dollars (about 57 thousand millions of euros).
The upper house of the US Congress approved on Tuesday night, by a majority of 79 votes against 18, a global package of 95 billion dollars (around 90 billion euros) to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan .
US President Joe Biden assured the following day that a package of war material would go to Kiev “in the next few hours”.
The White House’s announcement marked the end of a long political impasse, with Republicans in Congress blocking military assistance to Ukraine in their differing positions with Democrats.
“We rose to the moment. We were united. And we did it. Now we need to act quickly,” said Biden, at the White House event to announce the signing of the foreign aid measure.
Ukraine has relied on financial and weapons aid from Western allies since Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022.
Kiev’s allies have also enacted sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy to try to diminish Moscow’s ability to finance the war effort in Ukraine.
Already in the third year of war, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been faced with a lack of weapons and ammunition, despite repeated promises of help from Western allies.
