The US is halting deliveries of key air defence missile systems to allies, directing shipments to Ukraine instead in a bid to help bolster the country amid the continuing aerial barrage from Russia, the White House said.

Raytheon Co’s Patriot and NASAMS surface-to-air batteries will both be redirected to Ukraine as part of a “difficult but necessary decision” to reprioritise planned deliveries, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.

The move comes as some European countries, including Spain, Greece, and Romania, have so far balked at requests to transfer their systems to Ukraine. But Kyiv has described air defence systems - and particularly advanced Patriot batteries - as crucial for protecting population centres and critical infrastructure, including the country’s badly battered electrical grid. 

“If any of our other partners were ever in a situation similar to Ukraine’s, we would go to extraordinary lengths to support their security as well,” Kirby said. “This decision demonstrates our commitment to supporting our partners when they’re in existential danger.”

The new systems are expected to arrive in the coming weeks and should provide Ukraine with capabilities through the remainder of this and the next fiscal year, Kirby said. Deliveries to other countries could resume within 16 months, and all orders are expected to be eventually fulfilled. 

Germany, Poland, and Romania are among the nations with outstanding orders for the Patriot system, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the decision to divert orders.

“We’re going to make sure we give Ukraine the critical air defence capabilities they need now and into the future, and we’re going to keep working with our allies and partners to make sure that they, too, get the air defence capabilities that they ordered,” Kirby said.

The move comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met on Wednesday in Pyongyang to sign a new mutual defence pledge that could see North Korea provide additional military assistance for Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

“We’ve been talking about this, and warning about a burgeoning defence relationship between these two countries, now for many months,” Kirby said.
 

  - Bloomberg