The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missile interceptors to Ukraine to strengthen its air defence against intensifying Russian attacks.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the delivery could take several years, despite his country’s urgent need for the weapons.
The US State Department said the proposed sale of the advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles was valued at $2.1bn and would be funded entirely by Ukraine’s European allies and Canada.
Zelensky, who has repeatedly appealed to Washington to accelerate the supply of the missiles, said Ukraine needed them immediately, describing the Patriots as the only effective weapon against Russia’s deadly ballistic missile attacks.
The approval comes amid renewed tensions between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump following Washington’s decision earlier this month to ease sanctions on Russia as part of an agreement to secure Russian diesel supplies.
Trump had also suggested that Ukraine needed a new leader to negotiate an end to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
However, relations appeared to improve after Zelensky met US envoys in Oslo on October 20.
In a statement on Friday, the State Department said the proposed sale would advance Washington’s foreign policy and national security interests by strengthening the security of a partner country that contributes to political and economic stability in Europe.
It added that Ukraine would finance the purchase through donations from Canada, Germany and Norway under the JUMPSTART programme, alongside funds provided through the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan.
The department stressed that “no US funds are involved in this sale”, identifying American defence company Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor.
Welcoming the approval in a post on X on Friday night, Zelensky said Ukraine appreciated the decision but stressed that the weapons were needed urgently.
He also warned that Russia was stepping up attacks on critical energy infrastructure ahead of winter, saying there had been “more than 30 Russian strikes” on “critical parts” of Ukraine’s power grid in the past two weeks.
Ukraine’s demand for the interceptors comes amid a global shortage, partly driven by their use by the United States in its war against Iran.
Although Washington has approved the sale, the delivery timeline remains uncertain.
The order is understood to involve newly manufactured missiles rather than existing stockpiles, making an immediate supply unlikely.
Production constraints could further delay deliveries, as the US Department of Defence estimates that only about 600 Patriot missiles are manufactured annually.
In July, Trump said Washington had “not agreed” to license Ukraine to manufacture the Patriot missile system, weeks after initially offering Kyiv the opportunity to produce the weapons.
