USA prioritizes missile deliveries to Ukraine, reassures Poland
8:16 AM EDT, June 21, 2024
The USA will prioritize the delivery of missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine, stated John Kirby, the spokesperson for the American National Security Council.
"Today, Europe's security is shaped by the actions and decisions of the world. We must show solidarity with Ukraine. The decision to redirect supplies from the orders of US allies and partners will not affect the readiness of our units. Contracts for the Polish Armed Forces will be fulfilled by the USA, with the only change being the rescheduling of some deliveries of an extensive range of weaponry and military equipment that we are acquiring in the United States," the Polish Ministry of National Defense shared on the X platform on Thursday.
This statement was in response to the declaration made by the American National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also addressed this declaration on the X platform: "The US decision regarding ammunition deliveries to Ukraine will not impact the readiness of our units. Contracts for the Polish Armed Forces will be realized. More ammunition in Ukraine means greater security for our entire region. Our government is executing new contracts and modernizing the army to strengthen Poland's defensive capability and our security."
On Thursday, Kirby said that the USA "has made the difficult but necessary decision to reprioritize near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries, particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles, to go to Ukraine instead." He noted that delivery delays will not affect Taiwan and Israel but may involve countries on NATO’s eastern flank. The missile deliveries to Ukraine will be prioritized, causing some other countries to wait longer for their orders. This "reprioritization" will continue until the end of the next fiscal year in the USA, i.e., for the next 16 months.
Ukraine may also have priority for Patriot systems
Kirby did not rule out that a similar "reprioritization" may also affect the Patriot systems, including launchers, radars, and fire control systems. He added that the USA continuously talks about transferring Patriot batteries from other countries to Ukraine. On Thursday, Romania announced the delivery of its system.
Poland is one of the countries that has placed orders for Patriot missiles. It has also ordered AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, used as air-to-air missiles launched from fighter jets and as ammunition for the NASAMS ground-based system.
