The United States says it will supply Patriot air defence missile systems to Ukraine as part of a $6bn additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday, calling it the largest security assistance package to Kyiv since Russia\u2019s invasion in 2022. The package is the second this week after President Joe Biden signed a much-delayed bill to provide a total of $61bn of new funding for Ukraine. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defence launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine\u2019s existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the need for Patriots early on Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the US to provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine as part of $6bn defence aid \u00a0group, which Austin said has \u201cmoved heaven and Earth\u201d since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armoured vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff Russia. Zelenskyy had said that at least seven Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities. \u201cWe urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,\u201d Zelenskyy said. \u201cThis is what can and should save lives right now.\u201d Senior US officials have described dire battlefield conditions in Ukraine, as troops run low on munitions and Russian forces make gains. At a Pentagon news conference following the meeting, Austin said the US was working with allies to resource additional Patriot systems but did not commit to sending more US versions. He said he has been speaking one-on-one with a number of his European counterparts in recent days to hash out this issue and others. \u201cIt\u2019s not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,\u201d Austin said. \u201cI would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.\u201d Austin said he is asking allied nations to \u201caccept a little bit more risk\u201d as they consider what weapons to send to Ukraine. A number of nations have expressed some reluctance to send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine because most do not have very many, and they believe they need them for their own defence. The new US funding also includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, counter-drone systems and artillery. Since Russia\u2019s February 2022 invasion, the US has sent more than $44bn worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine. Among the weapons provided to Ukraine were Abrams M1A1 battle tanks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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