Dec. 21, 2022: President Joe Biden’s administration will soon announce a $1.8bn military aid package for Kyiv, which will for the first time include a Patriot missile battery and precision-guided bombs for Ukrainian fighter jets, amid reports the war-torn country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky may visit Washington, DC, a US official has said.
According to AP, the $1.8bn aid package due to be announced by Biden, according to AP, signals an expansion in the kinds of advanced weaponry the US is sending Ukraine to bolster the country’s air defences against an increasing barrage of Russian missile attacks.
The Biden administration’s decision to send the Patriot missile system comes despite Russian threats that delivery of such an advanced surface-to-air missile battery would be considered a provocative step and that the design and any crews accompanying it would be a legitimate target for Moscow’s military.
When the Patriot would arrive on the front lines in Ukraine is unknown, and US forces must also train Ukrainians on how to use the high-tech system. That training could take several weeks and is expected to be undertaken at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.
French President Emmanuel Macron also said on Tuesday that France had delivered more air defence missile systems and other weapons to Ukraine and would send more early next year.
Macron said he had two “red lines” when it came to arms deliveries: that it did not affect France’s ability to defend itself and did not make Paris a co-belligerent in the war.
The arms were to “enable Ukraine to defend itself” in the face of a relentless barrage of Russian missiles and drone attacks, he said.
Paris has also already delivered anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as armoured personnel carriers.
