US in talks to send Israeli Patriot systems to Ukraine

The United States, Israel and Ukraine are in talks to supply Kiev with up to eight Patriot air defense systems, significantly improving its ability to counter Russian airstrikes.

Although not finalized, the deal would likely involve the highly prized Patriot systems being sent from Israel to the United States first, before being delivered to Ukraine.

The broad outlines of the deal, which would mark a shift in Israel's relations with Moscow, were discussed among ministers and senior officials from the three countries, according to five people briefed on the negotiations.

Israel announced in April that it would begin retiring its eight Patriot batteries, which are more than 30 years old, and replacing them with more advanced systems.

But the batteries, which have been used in the current war between Israel and Hamas, have not yet been abandoned due to fears that tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group could escalate into war. in its own right.

If realized, such a transfer would represent a radical change in Ukraine's defensive capabilities. The country currently has at least four Patriot systems, supplied by the United States and Germany.

Ukraine has frequently asked its Western allies to supply it with air defense systems, particularly the American-made Patriots. Last week, the United States announced that it was suspending the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles to other countries in order to prioritize supplies to Ukraine.

Israel was cautious about taking sides during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, given Moscow's influence in Syria, where the Israeli air force often acts against Iranian proxies.

A destroyed residential building in the city of Toretsk, Ukraine. Israel has been cautious about choosing sides in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, given Moscow's influence in Syria, where Israeli aircraft often operate against Iranian proxies. Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images

But U.S. officials have sought to convince Benjamin Netanyahu's government that Russia's increasingly close ties with Iran, particularly in military cooperation, are a more pressing concern.

Washington gives Israel about $3.8 billion a year in military support, and in April it released an additional $14 billion in emergency funds to its ally since the start of the war with Hamas.

It would be fortuitous for these older Patriot missiles to see some use in another theater of operations before they become obsolete, said Tom Karako, head of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, especially given the levels of U.S. military aid to Israel.

While the transfer of all eight systems was under discussion, it is possible that not all of them will be sent to Ukraine, four of the people said.

Three people familiar with the discussions said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had held talks on the issue with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken in recent weeks.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke about the issue at least twice with Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, the three people said.

Ukraine continues to work with various countries around the world to obtain additional Patriot systems, Kuleba told the Financial Times, although he did not confirm the discussions.

We once again urge all countries with such systems to provide them to Ukraine, he added.

In addition to the discussions between the United States and Ukraine, a person familiar with the diplomacy said there had also been direct talks between Israel and kyiv on the transfer of the Patriots.

The U.S. and Ukrainian governments declined to comment.

The Israeli prime minister's office referred questions to the Defense Ministry, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine is struggling to defend itself against Russian missile and bombing attacks that have crippled its infrastructure and terrorized its cities. Russia's latest and most intense campaign of long-range airstrikes intensified in March.

The Israeli M901 PAC-2 batteries are an older version than most Patriot systems currently in service in Ukraine. But according to military analysts, the older model is still fully compatible with the newer ones.

Importantly, Israel also has sufficient stocks of interceptor missiles that Ukraine also needs to accompany its batteries, according to a person familiar with the size of Israel's arsenal.

Analysts also said that older Israeli interceptor missiles had a longer range and a larger warhead than the new PAC-3 model.

This could make them particularly suited to intercepting Russian fighter jets that have dropped devastating gliding bombs on Ukrainian cities and military positions deep behind the front lines.

The PAC-2 is actually more useful than the PAC-3 for long range intercepts against aircraft, so they would certainly be useful. [in Ukraine]said Justin Bronk, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

Former officials and analysts have said the Israeli systems would most likely be resold to the United States, which could then send them to Ukraine.

But they added that the more important question was whether Israel was prepared to alienate its intermittent ally Russia, despite Moscow's increasingly close relations with Iran.

Israel has already rejected Ukrainian demands for air defense systems. It also has an agreement with Russia that allows Israeli aircraft to access Syrian airspace.

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