US President Joe Biden announced new air defense systems for Ukraine during the opening of the NATO summit in Washington.
We are talking about two Patriot batteries, which will be handed over by Germany and Romania, one more by the Netherlands together with partners, and one more by the United States. Italy will provide the SAMP-T system.
Along with this, in the coming months, the US and partners plan to supply Ukraine with "dozens of tactical air defense systems", including NASAMS, HAWK, IRIS T-SLM, IRIS T-SLS and Gepard systems.
The United States will also reconfigure scheduled deliveries of critical air defense munitions in coordination with partners to ensure they reach the Defense Forces of Ukraine more quickly. During the year, Ukraine should receive hundreds of these.
"Our message to Moscow and the world is clear: our support for Ukraine is strong and unwavering," Biden concluded his speech.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Romania for the adopted Declaration in support of the air defense system of Ukraine to protect its people, cities and critical infrastructure.
"Additional Patriot, SAMP/T and IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, as well as other tactical missile systems due to arrive in Ukraine from partners, will help us destroy Russian drones and missiles and better protect Ukrainians from Russian aerial terror, such as yesterdayʼs brutal attack to our main childrenʼs hospital," he wrote.
- The NATO summit began on July 9 in Washington, DC, and will continue until July 11. In addition to the members of the Alliance, foreign ministers of 35 non-NATO partner countries were invited to the event. Among the famous participants are the heads of foreign affairs of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine will also be at the summit.