The US announces six billion dollars in military aid to Ukraine: “They need more than just the Patriot”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new $6 billion in military aid to Ukraine on Friday, as Washington seeks to fill a gap left by months of limited US aid.

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“I am pleased to announce today an additional six billion dollars as part of our Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,” Austin told reporters, noting that it would allow Kyiv to acquire new capabilities from US industry.

The US will supply Ukraine with additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems, Austin said.

The new package also includes more ammunition for NASAMS medium-range air defense systems and additional equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine’s existing arsenal, much of which is still Soviet-era weapons.

At a press conference at the Pentagon, Austin said the US was continuing to work with allies to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot systems, but stopped short of promising to send more of the US version.

“They need not only the Patriot, they need other types of systems and interceptors,” Austin said. “I would like to caution all of us not to make the Patriot a magic wand.”

U.S. officials said the aid package would be funded by the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means weapons deliveries could take months or years.

The new package, the largest U.S. aid shipment to date, also includes High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, anti-drone systems and artillery.

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