US will redirect air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine that other allies had on order
WASHINGTON — The White House announced Thursday that it will undertake urgent delivery of air defense interceptor missiles Ukraine by diverting planned shipments to other allied countries while Washington works to counterbalance increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
National security spokesman John Kirby said the US had made the “difficult but necessary decision to reprioritize planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries in the near term,” although he declined to say which countries would be affected or how many.
“Right now we know that Ukraine urgently needs these additional capabilities,” Kirby said on a call with reporters, adding: “Clearly more is needed, and it is needed now.”
The announcement comes after the president Joe Bidenduring the previous week Group of Seven meeting in Italysuggested that such action might be necessary, saying: “We have informed those countries that expect air defense systems from us in the future that they will have to wait.”
“Everything we have goes to Ukraine until their needs are met,” Biden said. “And then we will fulfill the promises we made to other countries.”
The US already sent Ukraine a consistent stream of interceptors for its air defense systems, including for the Patriot missile batteries and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS. But Kirby said more is urgently needed as the Russian military has accelerated missile and drone attacks on cities and infrastructure centers “in an effort to destroy Ukraine’s energy system before this winter.”
Russia has resumed bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid from the air, while Kiev’s forces are once again attacking Russian oil facilities with drone strikes, as both sides try to hamper the other’s ability to continue fighting.
The number of interceptors to be sent is not clear, but Kirby said it could include “hundreds” of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Kirby said Ukraine will receive priority shipments once the systems roll off assembly lines over the next 16 months, and will provide the country with “sufficient capacity” during that period.
He then said: “Countries that have been asked for a delay will receive deliveries of systems they had already ordered.
Kirby said the move means that “a range of countries” will face delays in receiving missile systems diverted to Ukraine, but that the shift will not affect Taiwan or what the country “still needs and receives for self-defense” in light of potential threats from China.
Asked to describe how other countries responded to the shift, Kirby said they were “broadly understanding of it.”
“They know how serious the need is in Ukraine,” he said.