The State Department confirmed the Trump administration has green‑lit a $5 billion sale of 500 Patriot PAC‑3 missiles to Ukraine, a decision that will now be sent to Congress for review.
Ukraine’s air‑defence stocks have been under pressure, with officials saying the country’s existing interceptor reserves are dwindling fast. Zelensky’s X post on Friday warned that any deliveries of the new missiles could take years, and he urged allies to consider using stockpiled PAC‑3s now with the long‑term purchase to follow.
The move comes after a flare‑up in Washington‑Kyiv relations, when the U.S. struck a diesel‑fuel deal with Russia that Ukraine said stifled its access to satellite‑internet services and intelligence sharing. Talks in Oslo on 20 October eased tensions, but the new sale signals a shift back toward heavier defense support.
The State Department clarified that the purchase will be financed by contributions from Ukraine’s partners, and not from U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Congressional committees will assess the sale next month, while Zelensky’s warning that deliveries could start only in a few years puts pressure on Washington to accelerate logistics. A Ukrainian veteran, who now works as a logistics officer in a Kyiv air‑defence unit, said the delay could mean the difference between surviving a drone strike and a catastrophic gap.