The US explains why it cannot provide more Patriot aid to Ukraine

(Dan Tri) – US officials state why the country will not send more Patriot defense complexes to Ukraine.

A Patriot complex (Photo: Reuters).

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced that America’s air defense capabilities are spread across the globe so they have no extra Patriot complexes left to send to Ukraine.

Mr. Sullivan said that the US will not put the country’s security situation at risk but will mobilize Western partners to share air defense capabilities with Ukraine.

Speaking at an online meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group on April 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyz Zelensky asked the West to aid `at least 7` Patriot batteries.

`US Patriot systems are being deployed around the world, including in the Middle East, to protect US troops. If we can find more surplus Patriot batteries, we will send them out

The Pentagon has pledged to add additional Patriot interceptors as part of a `historic` $6 billion support package announced on April 26.

However, the interceptors could take months or even years to reach Ukraine because the shipment is not in the Pentagon’s existing stockpile.

Manufactured by the American arms corporation Raytheon, a MIM-104 Patriot battery costs more than 1 billion USD.

The US has produced more than 1,100 Patriot launchers over the years.

`In the near future, we will cooperate with European partners and partners in other parts of the world to ask them to provide additional air defense capabilities to Ukraine,` Mr. Sullivan emphasized.

In April last year, Ukraine received its first two Patriot systems from the US and Germany.

In April this year, Germany announced that it would provide Ukraine with another Patriot complex.

Patriot is capable of intercepting a variety of targets from the air, including fighter aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

However, Ukraine said the number of Patriot complexes it has is not enough to protect important infrastructure.

In Europe, in addition to Germany, there are also the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Greece and Romania that have Patriot complexes.

Spain claims it can only supply `a small number` of Patriot interceptors, not the launchers.