US poised to send Patriot missiles in boost for Kyiv
The missile system will be the most advanced weaponry given to Kyiv, and follows a major escalation of Russian air strikes.
The US is set to send advanced Patriot missiles to Ukraine, months after Kyiv asked for the defence system to combat long-range ballistic and cruise missiles fired by Russian forces.
A formal announcement is expected in the coming days, possibly as early as Thursday, but the plan is still awaiting final approval from Lloyd Austin, the US Defence Secretary, and President Biden.
The Patriot system will be the most advanced weaponry handed to the Ukrainians since the start of the war in February.
Once an agreement has been signed, the defence system is expected to be shipped to Germany where Ukrainian forces will be trained how to use it.
Biden and President Zelensky of Ukraine discussed Patriots in a call on Sunday. The deployment of the missiles has become a matter of urgency after Moscow began launching longer range missiles at Kyiv and other cities weeks ago. Along with drone attacks, the Russian missiles have targeted and damaged Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, told CNN last month that the US was considering providing air defence systems to Ukraine.
“We’re now very focused on air defence systems and not just us, many other countries,” he said. “And we’re working to make sure that the Ukrainians get those systems as quickly as possible but also as effectively as possible, making sure that they are trained on them, making sure they have the ability to maintain them and all of that has to come together and it is.”
The Patriot missiles will be separate from a $US275m ($402m) package of US military assistance for Ukraine, which was announced on Friday.
Zelensky thanked Biden during their call on Sunday for Washington’s “unprecedented” support for the war against Russia, which is now in its tenth month.
It was unclear how many missile launchers would be sent but a typical battery includes a radar set that detects and tracks targets, computers, power generating equipment, an engagement control station and up to eight launchers, each holding four ready to fire missiles. Patriots need large crews to operate them and training can take months.
Kyiv’s forces will hope that once in place, the Patriots will limit the Kremlin’s ability to hit targets with ordnance fired from Russia, and from Russian controlled territory in Ukraine. Because of their long-range and high-altitude capability, Patriot missiles can shoot down missiles and aircraft a long distance from their intended targets in Ukraine.
The US will also hope that the delivery of the missile system will serve as a warning against any Russian ambitions west of Ukraine.
Reports had surfaced of tensions between Biden and Zelensky, as Ukraine demanded more advanced weaponry to protect against Russian aggression. The disagreements appear to have been ironed out, however.
Biden “reaffirmed the US commitment to continue providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and imposing costs on Russia for its aggression,” the White House said after Sunday’s call.
Zelensky said the “unprecedented defence and financial assistance” from the US helped “not only to succeed on the battlefield”, but also to “maintain the stability of our nation’s economy”, according to a Ukrainian statement.
Washington is concerned that a harsh winter in Europe, with rising energy and fuel prices, will soften support for Ukraine among some allies.
The US is pressing ahead with continued support for Kyiv despite opposition from some Republicans in Congress. In January, Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives and some officials have questioned whether the US should continue to write what they describe as “blank cheques” to Kyiv.
A recent poll indicated that the backing for the American support for Ukraine was declining. The survey for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs this month showed that 48 per cent said the US should support Ukraine “for as long as it takes, even if American households have to pay higher gas and food prices as a consequence”.
A similar proportion, 47 per cent, said the US should “urge Ukraine to settle for peace as soon as possible”.
In the council’s July survey, a 58 per cent majority said the US should support Ukraine for as long as needed.
The US has sent roughly $US20 billion in military and other assistance since the Russian invasion began.
The Times
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