President Biden on Thursday announced a new $225 million aid package for Ukraine that includes a Patriot air defense system to defend its skies further against continued Russian airstrikes, a decision revealed as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky, who met with Biden at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., praised the announcement as “strong news.” But he also continued to press for Washington to give Ukraine further permission to fire U.S.-provided, long-range missiles at targets further across Russian borders, The Associated Press reported.
This is the second Patriot air defense system the United States has pledged to Ukraine, and will be provided under presidential drawdown authority, meaning the U.S. military will pull the system directly from its inventory to quickly send to Ukraine.
The air defense system also is among several others Biden announced this week at the summit.
Kicking off the event Tuesday, Biden teased the “historic donation of air defense equipment for Ukraine,” with the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy to provide Kyiv “with the equipment for five additional strategic air defense systems.”
Later on Tuesday, a joint statement from the U.S., Germany and Romania said they would give Ukraine Patriot batteries, the Netherlands will provide components to make up another Patriot battery and Italy will provide a SAMP-T air defense system.
Biden added that in the coming months, the U.S. and its partners will provide Kyiv with “dozens of additional tactical air defense systems.”
NATO countries this week promised a wave of weapons for Ukraine to help it continue to deflect Kremlin attacks, including one that hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday, killing at least 42 people. The strike was part of a barrage of more than 40 missiles targeting five Ukrainian cities.
The $225 million package also includes munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAM), Stinger antiaircraft missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems and more 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, among other munitions, according to a Pentagon list of the aid.
The new announcement comes after the U.S. last week pledged an additional $150 million in lethal aid via presidential drawdown, as well as $2.2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds to buy Patriot missiles, NASAM air defense systems and other weapons from manufacturers.
Biden also is set to conduct a highly anticipated press conference Thursday at the end of the summit.