US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine
The State Department says Ukraine will pay using donations from Canada, Germany and Norway, with Lockheed Martin as principal contractor.
At a glance
- The US State Department approved a proposed sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
- Ukraine will pay using donations from Canada, Germany and Norway, plus EU-backed national funds.
- Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor, and no US funds are involved, the State Department said.
The United States has approved the proposed sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the US State Department said in a statement reported by BBC World. The announcement follows a row earlier this month between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over the easing of sanctions on Russia as part of a deal to secure Russian diesel.
What we know
The State Department said the sale supports US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe. Ukraine will pay for the purchase using donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through the JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan. The principal contractor will be American company Lockheed Martin. The State Department added that no US funds are involved in the sale.
Tensions eased after Zelensky held talks with US envoys in Oslo on 20 October. Earlier, Trump had said it was time for Ukraine to get a new leader to strike a deal to end the war with Russia. Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after previously seizing Crimea and parts of Donbas in the east.
What is not known yet
The source does not state when the missiles would be delivered or the total value of the purchase. It also does not say whether the proposed sale requires further US congressional review or when Ukraine expects to receive the weapons.
What happens next
The State Department characterised the move as a proposed sale, meaning the arrangement is not yet finalised. Separately, at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, European diplomats protested the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by refusing to stand for an official photograph. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Lavrov at the summit that everyone knows who the aggressor in the war is, accusing his government of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine, according to BBC World.
Sources: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- Who is paying for the Patriot missiles?
- Ukraine will pay using donations from Canada, Germany and Norway via the JUMPSTART program, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan.
- Which company is the principal contractor?
- American company Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale.
- Are US funds involved in the sale?
- No. The State Department said no US funds are involved in this sale.
