Joe Biden promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday “to continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems,” according to a White House statement.
In a telephone interview, the US president also expressed his “condolences” after the massive Russian strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
The Ukrainian president spoke to him on Twitter about a “productive conversation.” “Air defense is currently the first priority of our defense cooperation,” he said.
The rain of missiles that fell on Ukraine on Monday, as expected, revived the debate about strengthening Western military assistance in the field of anti-aircraft defense.
Of the 84 Russian missiles fired at Ukraine, 43 were shot down. The Ukrainian president said late Monday that of the 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down.
The United States has already pledged to supply advanced surface-to-air missile batteries: two for delivery in the coming weeks or months, and another six as part of long-term aid.
The NASAMS surface-to-air missile system is manufactured by the American company Raytheon and the Norwegian group Kongsberg.
Germany, long criticized by Volodymyr Zelensky for its slow commitment, obligated Germany to introduce the Iris-T defense system in the coming days with a shield range of 20 km in height and 40 km in width.
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