US is prepared to spend $400 million on military aid to Ukraine, but without missiles for Patriot system, – Reuters
The Donald Trump administration has made a legal commitment to spend almost all of the $400 million that the US Congress approved for military aid to Ukraine at the end of last year. However, interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence system were not included in this package.
This was reported by Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the plan, according to Censor.NET.
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Patriot missiles not included in the package
One of the sources clarified that the military equipment in this package does not include missiles for the Patriot system, despite the fact that Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities with drones and ballistic missiles. The US war with Iran and the war in Ukraine have depleted global stocks of Patriot interceptors, and Kyiv has repeatedly pleaded for additional supplies.
Reuters reported back in July that the Trump administration had warned Congress that the equipment might not reach Ukrainian troops for several years. The Pentagon has already delayed arms deliveries to Ukraine on several occasions due to concerns that the US’s own stockpiles are too low.
How much funding has already been utilised
As of the start of this week, $307 million of the $400 million package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) had already been contracted, agency sources reported.
The White House plans to finalise the remaining $93 million before the end of the financial year on 30 September.
The first deliveries, which will include offensive weapons and equipment, in particular spare parts for armoured vehicles, began this month. The remaining deliveries are expected by October 2029 — which is when Trump’s presidential term ends. The remaining $93 million does not necessarily have to be spent by the end of this year, but the funds will be forfeited if they are not formally contracted by that deadline.
Political context
These funds have become a source of controversy with Congress. Democrats and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans criticised the Pentagon for delaying aid to Kyiv, which representatives of both parties had voted for back in December.
What led up to this?
- US President Donald Trump, during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit on 8 July, stated that the US could grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defence systems. At the end of last week, he noted that Washington should be "very cautious" about granting Ukraine such a licence.
- In August, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, stated that there would be no agreement with Ukraine on the production of Patriot missiles before winter.
- In early September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States and Ukraine were in talks regarding the transfer of a licence to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defence systems.
