US Approves Sale of 500 Patriot Missiles to Ukraine in $2.1 Billion Washington Decision

The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine, the State Department said on Friday, in a Washington decision worth an estimated $2.1 billion. Reuters reported that Ukraine will pay for the missiles with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through the US JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan, and that Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale.

In its statement, the State Department said "this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe." The department also said "no US funds are involved in this sale," and the BBC reported the package would be funded entirely by Kyiv's allies in Europe and Canada.

The approval follows a wait that Ukraine's leadership had publicly flagged. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier this week that Ukraine had been waiting for almost a month for the US to sign off on critical missile supplies, as Russia stepped up attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure, Reuters reported.

Delivery, however, is not expected to be quick. The BBC reported that the order is understood to be for newly built missiles, making rapid delivery unlikely. The BBC also characterized the Patriot interceptors as the only effective weapon against Russia's ballistic missiles — the threat the new supply is meant to answer.