US working with allies to ship more Patriot batteries to Ukraine — Rubio
Shipments of U.S. military aid to Ukraine continue; Washington is also working with its NATO allies to deliver additional Patriot air defense systems, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 20.
At the same time, he suggested that the United States does not have any Patriots to spare.
“The Ukrainians asked for air defense systems — Patriot systems, which, frankly, we don’t have,” Rubio said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
“But we are working with our NATO allies. Some NATO allies have Patriot batteries that they could provide or transfer to Ukraine to protect the airspace over Kyiv or elsewhere. We’re working with our partners to arrange delivery of some of these systems. As you can imagine, none of these countries want to give up their Patriots.”
Rubio noted that after a one-week pause in military aid to Ukraine in March, equipment deliveries are now ongoing.
“They [Ukraine] are still receiving weapons from the United States — those approved under the prior administration,” he added.
“The White House will decide whether to consult Congress about providing additional aid to Ukraine. But everything that has been approved is continuing.”
He also warned that Ukraine is using munitions faster than the West can produce them.
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