The contract will include Patriot air defense systems, artillery, drones, counter-drone weapons, and air-to-air missiles, and may be finalized as soon as April 26, the officials said.
Speaking on national television, Andriy Yermak said Kyiv was "talking with many partners, primarily the U.S." about securing more of the badly needed systems and referred to recent news of German efforts to convince Washington to send more.
Kyiv is pushing Washington for the joint production of Patriot air defense systems to help Ukraine fend off Russia's war, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said in an interview with European Pravda on April 23.
Ukraine is facing a shortage of air defense systems amid an uptick in Russian attacks on population centers and energy infrastructure.
The news follows a story by the Financial Times (FT) on April 22, in which official sources said that Greece and Spain were under specific pressure from the EU to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine.
Poland cannot transfer any Patriot systems to Ukraine as it lacks reserves of its own, but will provide other forms of assistance in terms of air defense, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters on April 22.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson does not rule out sending Ukraine Patriot air defense systems, the Guardian reported on April 22.
NATO members are discussing sending some of their air defense systems to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a press conference after the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Capri on April 18.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with Germany's Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck during the latter's visit to Kyiv on April 18.
There are six additional Patriot systems in NATO countries that could be delivered to Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on April 18 following a Special European Council summit in Brussels.
"We have Patriots, we have anti-missile systems. We have to take them (out) from our barracks where they are just in case and send them to Ukraine where the war is raging," Josep Borrell told reporters after a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting on the island of Capri.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte offered on April 17 to buy Patriot air defense systems from more hesitant allies in order to send them to Ukraine, The Guardian reported.
Berlin has already appealed to EU and NATO partners as well as other unspecified countries, as Russia's intensifying aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to highlight the growing shortage of sufficient air defense systems.
Ukraine will send a request to convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine council to discuss the defense of Ukrainian skies and supplies of air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address on April 16.
Key developments on April 13-14: * Syrskyi: Russia set a goal to capture Chasiv Yar by 'Victory Day' on May 9 * Syrskyi: 'Situation on eastern front has significantly deteriorated in recent days' * Germany to send additional Patriot air defense system, missiles to Ukraine * Russia claims 10 Ukrainian drones downed in Krasnodar
Ukraine is in negotiations with Germany to secure an additional IRIS-T air defense system, as well as missiles for existing air defence systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address on April 13.
Berlin will provide Ukraine with one more Patriot air defense system amid intensified Russian attacks, the German Defense Ministry announced on April 13.
Ukraine is conducting "active negotiations" with its partners to receive two additional batteries of the Patriot air defense system and one long-range SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile battery, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an excerpt from an interview aired on April 12.
The European Parliament on April 11 refused discharge of the EU Council's budget until European leaders decide to support Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems, MEP Guy Verhofstadt said.
Ukraine aims to obtain an additional seven Patriot air defense batteries as soon as possible and has offered countries to loan the systems to Kyiv, Kuleba told the Washington Post (WP) in an interview published on April 10.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview for national television on April 6, called on international partners to provide Ukraine with modern air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks.
Berlin will call on allies worldwide to examine their air defense capabilities and "to provide whatever we all can" to Ukraine, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels on April 4.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held several meetings on April 3 with Ukraine's allies in Brussels, discussing strengthening Ukrainian air defense systems, the minister wrote on X.
Air Force spokesperson Ilia Yevlash's statement came after reports that Russian troops had used Zircon ballistic missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv. The researchers continue to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Kyiv's partners to supply Ukraine with more Patriot air defenses to help protect Ukrainian cities in an interview with Politico on March 25.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the military applies "all available tools" to counter Russian aircraft.
When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,
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