US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine – BBC

US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine  BBC

The American-made interceptors are the only effective weapon for downing Russia's ballistic missiles. The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically-needed munition for defence against escalating Russian aerial attacks. However Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned it could take "several years" for the deliveries to arrive. The US State Department said the advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles would cost $2.1bn (£1.6bn) and would be "funded entirely" by Kyiv's allies in Europe and Canada. On Friday night Zelensky repeated his calls for the US to speed up the release of its Patriots – the only effective weapon in downing Russia's deadly ballistic missiles. The latest move comes after a row between Zelensky and Donald Trump earlier this month when the US eased sanctions on Russia as part of a deal to secure Russian diesel.

The US president stated it was time for Ukraine to get a new leader to strike a deal to end the war with Russia. Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having earlier seized Crimea and parts of Donbas in the east. Tensions eased after Zelensky held talks with US envoys in Oslo on 20 October. In Friday's statement, the State Department said "this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United