President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to supply new air defenses to Ukraine in a speech opening the NATO summit – providing much-needed support for the country at a critical juncture in its defense against Russia’s invasion.
The US, Germany, and Romania will each provide a Patriot battery of their own, while the Netherlands will work with other countries to enable an additional Patriot battery, each country announced in a joint statement. Meanwhile, Italy would also provide a SAMP-T long-range air defense system.
The statement said the air-defense systems “will help to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians, and soldiers, and we are coordinating with the Ukrainian government so that these systems can be utilized rapidly.”
During his speech on Tuesday, Biden vowed that “the United States will make sure that when we export critical air defense interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line.”
“They will get this assistance before anyone else gets it,” Biden added.
Israel also receives defensive interceptors from the United States, though the country relies far more on its Iron Dome to intercept drones and rockets. The US had previously discussed sending Patriot interceptors in Israel to Ukraine.