The move was approved last week by U.S. President Joe Biden, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous administration officials. The decision has not been publicly announced.
The redeployment of the Patriot system follows "a series of high-level meetings and an internal debate" within the Biden administration on how to support Ukraine's air defense needs without compromising U.S. combat readiness. It was ultimately decided to move the system from Poland, where it had been safeguarding a rotational force of American troops who will soon return to the United States, the daily reported.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to confirm the reports when asked, and the Pentagon has not commented on the decision. The New York Times notes that the main challenge was determining which Patriot system to send to Ukraine, as they are also critical to U.S. troops in the Middle East and elsewhere, and the Pentagon was reluctant to move those based in America.
The issue is expected to be discussed further at the upcoming NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels next week.
This redeployment marks the second Patriot system the United States has provided to Ukraine. Other allies, including Germany and the Netherlands, have also contributed Patriot systems. Germany plans to send a second system by the end of June, according to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Washington hopes its initiative will encourage other countries to follow suit, as air defense remains one of Ukraine's most pressing needs.
Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin has stated that the U.S. is in talks with other nations to convince them to donate their systems to Ukraine.
Increased Russian strikes
The urgency of Ukraine's air defense needs has been underscored by increased Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that his country urgently needs seven more Patriot systems to fend off these attacks. Russian forces have recently intensified shelling in Kharkiv and the surrounding region, with missiles also striking western Ukraine near the border with Poland.
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Source: IAR, The New York Times