Washington: The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth $2.1 billion (£1.6 billion), as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its air defences against escalating Russian attacks.
The US Department of State stated that the purchase would be funded entirely by Ukraine’s European and Canadian allies. Contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway will be channelled through the JUMPSTART programme, alongside national funds supported by the European Union’s (EU) Ukraine Support Loan. American defence company Lockheed Martin will serve as the principal contractor. No US government funds will be used for the sale.
The delivery timeline remains uncertain. The order is understood to involve newly manufactured missiles rather than existing stock. Production constraints and a global shortage of the interceptors could therefore delay supplies. The US Department of Defence reported annual production of only 600 missiles. Demand has also increased following the use of Patriot ammunition by the United States during its war against Iran.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine welcomed the approval but stressed that the country needs the interceptors urgently. Zelensky warned that delivery could take several years. Ukraine has been waiting almost a month for US approval of critical missile supplies and reported critically low stocks.
The PAC-3 missiles are particularly important because they are regarded as the only effective weapon available to Ukraine for intercepting Russia’s ballistic missiles. Zelensky also warned that Russian forces have intensified attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of winter. More than 30 Russian strikes targets critical parts of Ukraine’s power grid over the past two weeks.
The approval comes after tensions between Zelensky and Donald Trump, US President earlier in October. Trump suggested that Ukraine should have a new leader to negotiate an end to the war. Relations eased following Zelensky’s talks with US envoys in Oslo on October 20. In July, Trump also noted that Washington had not agreed to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, despite an earlier offer to grant such permission.
Diplomatic tensions were also visible at the G20 foreign minister’s meeting in Atlanta, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Several European diplomats refused to stand for an official photograph alongside Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister leading to the cancellation of the traditional group picture. Ed Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary directly challenged Lavrov over Russia’s role in the war and accused Moscow of killing civilians in Ukraine.
The proposed sale is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s security and support stability in Europe, according to the US State Department. However, the lengthy production process means approval does not guarantee that the missiles will reach Ukrainian forces quickly.
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