Providing a Patriot battery marks an escalation of US military aid.
by Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com
The US on Wednesday announced a new massive $1.85 billion weapons package for Ukraine that includes a Patriot air defense system for the first time, marking an escalation of US military aid for Kyiv.
The Patriots will be the most advanced air defense system the US is providing Ukraine and will require six months of training for Ukrainian forces, which will likely take place in Germany. Russia has warned strongly against providing such systems, saying the Patriots will be a legitimate target for the Russian military, but the Biden administration doesn’t seem concerned about potential escalations.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that additional US weapons for Ukraine will lead “to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine.”
The announcement of the package coincides with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visiting Washington. The aid includes $1 billion in arms that will be sent from US military stockpiles and $850 million in assistance in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the US to purchase weapons for Kyiv.
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