The package includes S-300 Clone missiles, GAM-67 missiles, extended-range and laser-guided air defense missile systems, and RPS-202 radar stations for countering drones. It also covers ITEL version 1.5 transporter-erector launchers and kits for modifying mobile launch systems.
The State Department said separately that the deal would not require Washington to send government representatives or contractors to Ukraine, and that the deliveries "will not change the basic military balance in the region" and "will not affect US combat readiness." The department also said the sale "will improve Ukraine's ability to counter current and future threats," Deutsche Welle reported.
Funds from the FMF program allocated by the administration of Joe Biden will be credited as a US contribution to the American-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund on a 1:1 reimbursement basis, Radio Liberty reported.
Congress must now review the potential deal: if it does not block it within 30 days, the parties can conclude a final supply agreement, The Moscow Times reported.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly said in recent weeks that they face a shortage of missiles for Patriot systems. Without these interceptors, Ukraine's armed forces effectively have no ability to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, Meduza noted. At a meeting at the White House on July 28, Zelensky asked Trump to hand over 300 Patriot missiles to Ukraine before winter; Trump refused, according to sources cited by US media.
The day before, Trump signed a bill on new sanctions against Russia, one of whose co-authors was the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The document allows for 100 percent tariffs against the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as five countries helping Russia circumvent energy sanctions.