More American Air Defense Is on the Way to Help Ukraine

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

May 4, 2025Updated 12:37 p.m. ET


Ukraine is getting more help in its war with Russia. A Patriot air-defense system that was based in Israel will be sent to Ukraine after it is refurbished, four current and former U.S. officials said in recent days, and Western allies are discussing the logistics of Germany or Greece giving another one. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, declined to describe President Trump’s view of the decision to transfer more Patriot systems to Ukraine.

The White House’s National Security Council does not provide details on the strength and placement of defense systems, said James Hewitt, a spokesman for the council. “President Trump has been clear: he wants the war in Ukraine to end and the killing to stop,” he said. A former White House official said that the Biden administration had secured the agreement with Israel in September, before the election won by Mr. Trump.

The Defense Department said in a statement that “it continues to provide equipment to Ukraine from previously authorized” packages, referring to weaponry pulled from existing inventories and new purchases. The delivery, which has not been previously reported, comes as Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine, including an April 24 missile strike on Kyiv that was the deadliest since last summer.

A year ago, allies struggled to answer a demand by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine for seven Patriot systems. Although Ukraine now has eight, only six are functioning. The other two are being refurbished, one of the U.S. officials said. With the one from Israel, and one from Germany or Greece, Ukraine would have 10 Patriot systems in total, largely to protect the capital, Kyiv.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-patriot-systems.html

---

No paywall (gift)

Note from the excerpts -

A former White House official said that the Biden administration had secured the agreement with Israel in September, before the election won by Mr. Trump.

[erronis]

1. Why do I not trust the Americans or Israelis on this matter?

trump has shown himself to be in favor of the USSR taking back Ukraine. The israelis are well-known to sabotage equipment to cause harm to the recipients.

Slava Ukraine!

[JI7]

2. Why would Israel want to cause harm to Ukraine ?

And this was a deal agreed to under Biden.

[JoseBalow]

3. What equipment have they sabotaged?

I've never heard that one before.

[erronis]

5. Maybe you can remember exploding phones and pagers? Maybe you've heard of Pegasus spyware?

Maybe not.

[JoseBalow]

6. That was by design

and worked as intended, not "sabotaged."

[MarineCombatEngineer]

9. You're comparing apples to oranges,

the exploding pagers and radios along with the Pegasus spyware were used against declared enemies of Israel, so why would Israel sabotage an air defense system meant for Ukraine?
Just what would they gain by it?
Is Ukraine a declared enemy of Israel?
Did I miss something?
That doesn't make any sense.

[maxsolomon]

10. Don't try to make sense of kneejerk condemnations of Israel

on DU.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

12. Yeah, I know I shouldn't,

but that post was so ridiculous that I felt compelled to question the absurdity of it and I'm still waiting for a response, but I'm not holding my breath.

[louis-t]

4. He doesn't care if people die. He's only concerned that the war

is slowing down some business deal he's trying to arrange. How can we mine Ukraine if there is shooting going on?

[BumRushDaShow]

7. That's why I also thought

the timing was interesting, where the spigot was finally reopened (at least for now).

[NH Ethylene]

8. I wonder if the US profiting from mineral rights has changed the playing field.

Could Trump's devotion to Putin have limits?

[maxsolomon]

11. Courtesy of Joe Biden.

Thanks for not stopping it, Krasnov. So far.

How many Ukrainians will die before it's "refurbished"?