Joint Statement on Strengthening Ukraine’s Air Defenses

Joint Statement on Strengthening Ukraine’s Air Defenses by U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy   We are committed to providing Ukraine with additional air defense capabilities as it defends itself against Russia’s continued aggression, including Russia’s deliberate attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian and critical infrastructure.   Today, we are announcing that, collectively, we are providing Ukraine with additional strategic air defense systems, including additional Patriot batteries donated by the United States, Germany, and Romania; Patriot components donated by the Netherlands and other partners to enable the operation of an additional Patriot battery; and an additional SAMP-T system donated by Italy.   These five strategic air defense systems will help to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians, and soldiers, and we are coordinating closely with the Ukrainian government so that these systems can be utilized rapidly. We are working on a further announcement this year of additional strategic air defense systems for Ukraine.   In addition, in the coming months, the United States and partners intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of tactical air defense systems, including NASAMS, HAWKs, IRIS T-SLM, IRIS T-SLS, and Gepard systems. These systems will further expand and strengthen Ukraine’s air defense coverage. Several Allies – including Canada, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom – will continue to play an integral role in the provision of these systems, and many other supporters of Ukraine will assist in the provision of interceptors. For its part, the United States will re-sequence planned deliveries of Foreign Military Sales of critical air defense interceptors in coordination with partners so they are delivered to Ukraine, providing Ukraine with hundreds of additional air defense interceptors over the next year.   As we strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, we are grateful to the coalition of more than 50 countries that continues to provide security assistance to Ukraine, as well as to the Immediate Action on Air Defense Initiative – to which partners have pledged more than $1 billion in support of air defense for Ukraine – and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Capability Coalition, co-led by Germany and France. We also welcome NATO’s work to support Ukraine’s efforts to develop a NATO-interoperable integrated air and missile defense architecture. Our message to Moscow and the world is clear: Our support for Ukraine is strong and unwavering. (Source: U.S. Mission Romania)