WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The White House announced Thursday that it will rush delivery of air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine by redirecting planned shipments to other allied nations, as Washington scrambles to counter increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
春色直播 security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. had taken the 鈥渄ifficult but necessary decision to reprioritize near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries,鈥 though he wouldn't say which nations would be affected or how many.
鈥淩ight now, we know that Ukraine urgently needs these additional capabilities,鈥 Kirby said on a call with reporters, adding, 鈥淥bviously more is needed, and it鈥檚 needed now.鈥
The announcement comes after President , during last week's , suggested such action might be necessary, saying, 鈥淲e鈥檝e let it be known for those countries that are expecting, from us, air defense systems in the future, that they鈥檙e going to have to wait."
鈥淓verything we have is going to go to Ukraine until their needs are met,鈥 Biden said. 鈥淎nd then we will make good on the commitments we made to other countries.鈥
The U.S. was already sending Ukraine a consistent stream of interceptors for its air defense systems, including for the Patriot missile batteries and the 春色直播 Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or . But Kirby said that more was urgently needed as Russia's military has accelerated missile and drone attacks against cities and infrastructure centers 鈥渢rying to destroy Ukraine's energy system ahead of this winter.鈥
Russia has resumed its aerial pounding of Ukraine鈥檚 power grid while Kyiv鈥檚 forces are again targeting Russian oil facilities with drone strikes, as each side seeks to hinder the other's ability to continue fighting.
The number of interceptors to be sent isn't clear but Kirby said it could involve 鈥渉undreds鈥 of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Kirby said Ukraine will get prioritized shipments as soon as systems roll off assembly lines for the next about 16 months, and those will provide the country with "enough capability鈥 during that period.
After that, he said, 鈥淐ountries that have been asked to delay will start to get鈥 deliveries of systems they had already ordered.
Kirby said the move means 鈥渁 range of countries鈥 will face delays in receiving missile systems that are being diverted to Ukraine but that the shift would not affect Taiwan or what it 鈥渃ontinues to need and receive for self-defense" in the face of potential threats from China.
Asked to describe how other countries reacted to the shift, Kirby said they were "broadly understanding of it.鈥
鈥淭hey know how serious the need is in Ukraine," he said.
