US confirms delivery of Patriot missiles to kyiv amid Zelensky’s visit

First modification: 12/21/2022 – 15:35

Washington ups the ante on military aid to Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in the US to meet with Joe Biden and then address Congress.

Finally, after repeated calls from Ukraine and close to 10 months of war, the Biden Administration confirmed that it will send Patriot missiles and precision-guided bombs for Ukrainian warplanes, as part of a new package for 1.8 billion dollars.

Aid to strengthen kyiv’s forces in the face of continued attacks by Russian troops also includes ammunition for HIMARS missile launchers, mortars and military vehicles, among others.

Immediately, the Russian Presidency rejected the new aid to the invaded nation and warned that it would aggravate the devastating war, noting that it “does not bode well.”

“The supply of weapons continues. The variety of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Do the Patriot missiles mark a turning point in the war?

They are considered one of the most reliable and proven air missile defenses that exist in the world, which is why some experts point out that they represent a turning point in the conflict.

It is a powerful surface-to-air guided missile system capable of attacking aircraft, cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles, so it could help kyiv counter Russia’s weapons, including Iranian-supplied missiles.

However, its implementation is not easy. A Patriot battery contains up to eight launchers, each of which can hold four missiles.

The entire system, which includes phased array radar, a control station, computers and generators, typically requires around 90 soldiers to operate and maintain, though only three soldiers are needed to fire it, military sources claim.

The Pentagon noted that the delivery will be accompanied by training actions for the troops attacked.

Until now, the Biden government had refused to provide the Patriots to the country under attack, considering that it would provoke a greater response from Moscow and an escalation of hostilities.

The new announcement signals a US expansion in the types of advanced weapons it is willing to supply to Ukrainian soil and comes as Moscow is ramping up its attacks on civilian infrastructure.

In the past two months Putin’s troops have turned their strategy towards attacks on crucial installations, leaving millions of Ukrainians with constant cuts of water, power and heating amid freezing temperatures. The West accuses the Kremlin of using winter as its new weapon of war.

Biden confirms Zelensky’s visit, his first abroad since the war began

Images released in the last few hours showed Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelenski at a train station in Przemyśl, Poland, the first stop in the middle of his trip to the United States.

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink also appears in the video.

After various rumors and reports from the US press, President Joe Biden confirmed on Wednesday, December 21, the arrival of his Ukrainian counterpart.

In a statement, the Democratic president said that Zelensky will attend the White House before addressing a joint session of Congress “demonstrating strong bipartisan support for Ukraine.”

This is the first time that Zelensky has left his country since Russia ordered war 301 days ago, on February 24.

It is precisely expected that the Ukrainian president appeal for aid in arms, as pointed out by the presidential political adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, who assured that the official trip demonstrates the high degree of trust between the two countries.

“This finally puts an end to the attempts of the Russian side to prove an alleged increasing cooling in our bilateral relations (…) This, of course, is not even close. The United States unequivocally supports Ukraine,” Podolyak remarked.

With Reuters and local media