US sending Patriot air defence system based in Israel to Ukraine amid truce offer row with Russia

As Russia has stepped up attacks, Ukraine is about to get two more Patriot air defence systems in the coming months.

The United States is sending one Patriot air defence system currently deployed in Israel to Ukraine and Germany or Greece are arranging one system from amongst themselves, according to The New York Times.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking more air defence systems, particularly the US-made Patriots, for several months. US President Donald Trump had berated him last month for such requests, saying that he was “always looking to purchase missiles”.

Ukraine currently has eight Patriot systems and six of them are currently operational, as per The Times.

Patriot is a surface-to-air (SAM) missile system that is used for defence against aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. It comprises radar, guiding system, and missiles. The radar can detect incoming threats as far as 150 kilometres away and launch guided missiles accordingly to neutralise them.

Patriot transfer approved by Biden: Report

A former White House official told The Times that the transfer of Patriot system from Israel to Ukraine was approved by former President Joe Biden.

The Patriot system is currently being refurbished in Israel and would be transferred to Ukraine by the end of the summer, according to the newspaper.

Even as Trump has been dismissive of Ukrainian requirements, the Department of Defense told the newspaper that “it continues to provide equipment to Ukraine from previously authorised” packages.

Of the eight Patriot systems with Ukraine at the moment, only six are functional and two are in the process of being refurbished, as per the newspaper.

The news of the transfer comes at a time when Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks as Trump has increasingly supported Russia.

While Trump had always been critical of the support for Ukraine and friendly with Russia, he has aligned the United States completely with Russia in his second term. He has entered into negotiations with Russia for a reset in bilateral relationships and has floated peace plans that contain some of the biggest Russian demands. However, Russia has still rejected all three ceasefire proposals and one comprehensive plan floated by Trump. Yet it is Ukraine that Trump has bashed repeatedly instead of Russia or its leader.