NATO allies boost Ukraine's defense with historic missile transfer

USA, Germany, Romania, the Netherlands, and Italy will provide Ukraine with five additional air defense systems. President Joe Biden delivered this information during the opening of the NATO summit in Washington.

"Today, I’m announcing the historic donation of air defence equipment for Ukraine. The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Italy will provide Ukraine with the equipment for five additional strategic air defence systems. And in the coming months, the United States and our partners intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of additional tactical air defence systems. The United States will make sure that when we export critical air defence interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line," announced U.S. President Joe Biden.

"All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles and Ukrainian troops facing air attacks on the front lines," Biden added.

The White House reported on Tuesday that the USA, Germany, Romania, the Netherlands, and Italy will provide Ukraine with five additional air defense systems, including four Patriot systems and one SAMP/T system. The USA and its partners will also provide Ukraine with dozens of tactical air defense systems.

According to a White House communication, the USA, Germany, and Romania will provide Ukraine with additional Patriot batteries, the Netherlands will supply components of the same system, and Italy will provide the SAMP/T system.

Additionally, in the coming months, the USA and its partners are expected to transfer "dozens" of shorter-range systems, including NASAMS, HAWK, IRIS-T SLM, IRIS-T SLS, and Gepard. Countries including Canada, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom will donate these.

During Tuesday's ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Alliance at the Mellon Auditorium—the venue where the Washington Treaty was signed in 1949—President Joe Biden assured "full support" for Ukraine. He argued that NATO is stronger today than ever and expressed his belief that Russia will lose its war.

"Make no mistake, Russia is failing in this war. More than two years into Putin’s war of choice, his losses are staggering: more than 350,000 Russian troops dead or wounded; nearly 1 million Russians, many of them young people, have left Russia because they no longer see a future in Russia," said the U.S. President. He added that Putin's goal is the total subjugation of Ukraine and that if he is not stopped, he will not stop at Ukraine.

"Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail," he declared.