Donald Trump Vows To Transfer Patriot Air Defense System To Ukraine Through NATO

The US will send Patriot air defense systems and additional weapons to Ukraine via NATO, President Donald Trump said.

He said that “NATO will distribute” the weapons and will also pay for them, local media reports noted.

It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said he and Donald Trump were engaged in a “positive dialogue” about acquiring weapons.

Reportedly, Zelensky had sought 10 Patriot systems as Russia widened its drone and missile strikes on various Ukrainian cities in the past few weeks.

What Is So Special About The Patriot Air Defense System?

Known as one of the best air defense systems in the world, the Patriot detects and destroys all the missiles that are incoming in its radar.

Zelensky stated that Germany will pay for two Patriot systems, Norway for one, and the price of the remaining systems will be paid by other European nations, media reports added.

Earlier, Trump and Putin discussed the war on a call last week, and the US president claimed that Putin’s attitude is “very nice” but meaningless.

Trump also confirmed he would make a “major statement” about Russia on Monday but refused to give more details on it, the local media reported.

Reportedly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European nations such as Germany and Spain to transfer some of the Patriot systems they possess to Ukraine.

Why Does Ukraine Seek The Patriot Air Defense System?

Last week, the US had stopped delivering advanced weapons to Ukraine, which included Patriot interceptor missiles and precision artillery shells.

Reportedly, the Patriot Systems are extremely expensive, as a single battery costs around USD 1 billion.

But as Russia launched heavy drone attacks on Ukraine, Trump changed his stance and said the US would resume the delivery of weapons to Kyiv. 

Russia pounded Ukraine on Tuesday night by launching 728 drones, as the civilian deaths increased to 232 in June, a UN report said.

Over 1,300 were also injured, the report added further.

Russia declared a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the war has dragged on for more than three years now. 

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