US Approves $2.1 Billion Patriot Missile Sale to Ukraine
Written by AI from aljazeera.com's report. Not checked by a person.
The US State Department approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 air-defence missiles to Ukraine for $2.1 billion, funded by Canada, Germany, Norway, and the EU — though delivery is not expected until the early 2030s.
The US State Department approved a potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, with an estimated value of $2.1 billion. The deal is described as one of the most significant steps to supply defensive weapons to Kyiv since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025. Ukraine will not pay from its own treasury alone: the purchase will be financed through contributions from Canada, Germany, and Norway routed via the US JUMPSTART programme, supplemented by funds from the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan. Despite Ukraine's urgent need, the missiles have yet to be manufactured. Lockheed Martin, the principal contractor, received a US Army contract worth up to $58.6 billion in July to scale annual PAC-3 production to 2,000 units, with a goal of tripling production capacity by the end of 2030. Deliveries are not expected until a couple of years into the 2030s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv had been waiting almost a month for Washington to sign off on critical missile supplies, as Russia intensified attacks on Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure. A Russian drone strike earlier this week killed at least 14 people at a rail platform in Dnipro, underscoring the urgency of stronger air defences.
