Washington 'moving with haste' to arm Ukraine under Trump plan, US envoy says
The U.S. was working to speed up weapons deliveries to Ukraine in coordination with President Donald Trump's new NATO initiative, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said, Barron's reported on July 17.
As part of the plan, the U.S. was weighing the sale of Patriot air defense systems from its own military stockpiles, Whitaker said.
The push follows Trump's July 14 announcement of a NATO- and EU-backed scheme in which alliance members would purchase U.S.-made weapons systems for Ukraine.
"We are all moving with haste to facilitate this and get this done, and, you know, I think things are actually moving very quickly," Whitaker said.
He added that while the U.S. would not put itself at "a strategic disadvantage," it acknowledges Ukraine's "desperate" need for air defenses to protect cities under bombardment.
"We're going to make sure that we have everything we need," Whitaker said. "At the same time, I think we all acknowledge the desperate requirements that Ukraine currently... needs."
Options under discussion include the direct sale of U.S. Patriots, European countries sending their existing systems to Ukraine, and those systems being replaced through purchases from Washington.
Russia has intensified aerial assaults across Ukraine over the past months. Kyiv has repeatedly urged Western partners to bolster its air defense network to counter drone and missile barrages targeting civilian infrastructure.
Trump said on July 16 that Patriot air defense missiles for Ukraine were already en route, though Germany's Defense Ministry said it had no knowledge of any such shipment.
A German spokesperson had confirmed on July 14 that discussions among European allies were ongoing to supply more than three Patriot systems.
So far, the U.S. has provided three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, Germany has sent three more, and a European coalition has contributed an additional unit.
