US drops Patriot missiles from new Ukraine assistance package - Reuters
Photo: first arms deliveries began this month (Getty Images)
The US has not included Patriot air defense system missiles in the new military aid package for Ukraine. At the same time, the Trump administration will spend the entire $400 million previously approved by the US Congress on this aid, according to Reuters.
According to three sources, the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken on the legal obligation to spend the full $400 million that Congress approved in late 2025 for military aid to Ukraine (referring to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, USAI).
As of the beginning of this week, $307 million has already been contracted, guaranteeing that the funds will not be canceled. The remaining $93 million is planned to be formalized by the end of the fiscal year, that is, by September 30.
According to sources, the first deliveries have already begun this month. They include offensive weapons, equipment, and spare parts for armored vehicles.
However, according to one of the interlocutors, the military aid package does not include Patriot air defense system missiles, despite the fact that Russia is bombing Ukrainian cities with drones and ballistic missiles.
Reuters added that the rest of the deliveries are expected to be completed by October 2029. At the same time, Trump's presidential term ends in January of that year.
Patriot for Ukraine
Recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian community in the US, stated that Ukraine had reached an agreement on a new package of missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
Also, at a briefing in New York, he said that Ukraine is collecting a hundred missiles, one or two at a time, directly from heads of state. Zelenskyy emphasized that the only country that could help on a large scale is the US.
By the way, on September 25, the president stated that Ukraine would receive licenses to produce missiles for Patriot systems. According to him, Trump has made a final decision on this matter.
