US pledges record £5.2bn weapons package to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles

On Friday, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin announced that the United States would procure Patriot missiles and other weapons and military equipment worth £5.2 billion for Ukraine. This is the largest package of arms the USA has provided to Kyiv so far.

As Austin stated during a press conference after the meeting of the Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine, the package will include missiles for Ukrainian Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems, counter-drone systems, and significant quantities of artillery ammunition and air-to-ground missiles.

The package was approved under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative program, which involves procuring weapons for Ukraine from American manufacturers. This means that deliveries could take many months.