US greenlights 500 Patriot missiles for Ukraine, with $2.1 billion to be paid by allies

US Patriot missile defense batteries newly installed at the Rzeszow airport located near the Poland-Ukraine border in Rzeszow, Poland on March 09, 2022. (Photo by Agnieszka Majchrowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The State Department announced today that it has approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, with an estimated price tag of $2.1 billion to be paid “entirely by partners and allies.”

“The Government of Ukraine has requested to buy five hundred (500) PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles” along with classified and unclassified parts, according to a State Department congressional notification posted online .

The notification said that Kyiv could buy the high-tech missiles “with donations from Canada, Germany, and Norway via the JUMPSTART program and national funds, financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan. No U.S. funds are involved in this sale.” JUMPSTART refers to the Joint Ukrainian Multinational Program–Services, Training and Articles Rapid Timeline program, established in 2022 as a mechanism for third-party countries to contribute funds to allow Ukraine to buy American equipment.

The potential sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the notice says.

However, the diplomatic language belies lingering tensions between Kyiv and Washington, especially when it comes to Patriot missiles. On Oct. 19, The Washington Post reported that the US appeared to have delayed the transfer of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine amid a falling out between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A few days earlier, CNN reported that Kyiv had run out of interceptors, leaving the country more vulnerable to deadly Russian missile and drone attacks.

On Oct. 25, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the US had resolved two other recent sticking points — the surprise disruptions in Starlink/Starshield connectivity and in US-provided missile warning information — but he appeared to call out the US for dragging its feet on Patriot deliveries.

“The issue of air defense remains. There is progress on missiles for Patriot systems, but things are moving very slowly. More slowly than Russian missiles fly,” he said. “You cannot say, ‘Yes, we will give the missiles to you,’ and then not deliver them for a month or two. It simply does not work that way.”

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The embattled leader previously told ABC News that Ukraine would need 350 interceptors per month to properly defend its territory.

Foreign Military Sales notifications are generally early steps in what can be years-long processes. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment as to how today’s announcement may affect Kyiv’s near-term interceptor problem.

FMS deals are also typically not final when they’re announced, as quantities and prices can change as contract negotiations continue. Additionally lawmakers could step in and delay or block the deal as well, though that is less likely in this case considering the remaining bipartisan support for Ukraine.

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2022年3月9日，美国爱国者导弹防御系统新近安装在波兰热舒夫机场，该机场位于波兰-乌克兰边境附近。（图片由Agnieszka Majchrowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images提供）

华盛顿——美国国务院今天宣布，已批准向乌克兰出售 500 枚爱国者导弹，预计价格为 21 亿美元，将“完全由合作伙伴和盟友支付”。

据美国国务院在网上发布的国会通知称，“乌克兰政府已请求购买 500 枚爱国者先进能力-3 (PAC-3) 导弹段增强 (MSE) 导弹”，以及机密和非机密部件。

通知称，基辅可以通过“JUMPSTART”计划，利用加拿大、德国和挪威的捐款以及由欧盟乌克兰援助贷款资助的国家资金购买这些高科技导弹。“此次交易不涉及美国资金。” JUMPSTART指的是“联合乌克兰多国计划——服务、培训和物资快速交付计划”，该计划于2022年设立，旨在为第三方国家提供资金，帮助乌克兰购买美国装备。

公告称，这笔潜在的军售“将通过改善一个伙伴国家的安全来支持美国的外交政策和国家安全目标，该伙伴国家是欧洲政治和经济稳定的力量”。

然而，外交辞令掩盖了基辅和华盛顿之间持续存在的紧张关系，尤其是在“爱国者”导弹问题上。10月19日，《华盛顿邮报》报道称，由于美国总统特朗普和乌克兰总统泽连斯基关系恶化，美国似乎推迟了向乌克兰交付“爱国者”拦截导弹。几天前，美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道称，基辅的拦截导弹已经耗尽，这使得乌克兰更容易遭受俄罗斯致命的导弹和无人机袭击。

10 月 25 日，泽连斯基表示，乌克兰和美国已经解决了最近另外两个棘手的问题——星链/星盾连接和美国提供的导弹预警信息突然中断——但他似乎指责美国在爱国者导弹交付方面拖延不决。

“防空问题依然存在。爱国者导弹系统的导弹研发工作正在取得进展，但进展非常缓慢，比俄罗斯导弹的飞行速度还慢，”他说道。“你不能说‘好的，我们会把导弹给你’，然后一两个月都不交付。事情根本行不通。”

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这位处境艰难的领导人此前告诉美国广播公司新闻网，乌克兰每月需要 350 架拦截机才能有效保卫其领土。

对外军售通知通常只是漫长流程的早期步骤。国务院尚未就今天的公告可能对基辅近期拦截器问题产生何种影响作出回应。

通常情况下，对外军售协议在宣布时并非最终定稿，因为随着合同谈判的进行，数量和价格都可能发生变化。此外，立法者也可能介入并推迟或阻止协议的达成，但考虑到两党对乌克兰仍保持支持，这种情况发生的可能性较小。

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