'Why Now And Not Earlier?': Pentagon Grilled On Decision To Redirect Patriot Missiles To Ukraine

3 months ago

Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder was asked about the Biden Administration's decision to prioritize sending Patriot systems to Ukraine.

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Transcript

00:00Sir.

00:01Thank you.

00:02So I have on the decision on to prioritize Patriot and NAESM missile deliveries to Ukraine.

00:07So first, why now and not earlier?

00:09And secondly, what does it mean for Ukrainians practically?

00:12Will they be receiving more of those missiles?

00:15Will it take less time for them to be delivered for Ukraine?

00:18What will be the quality change here?

00:20Yeah.

00:21So as I'm sure you know, the Foreign Military Sales Program obviously supports numerous

00:27countries around the world.

00:30But in this particular case, in terms of why now, what we're seeing is Russia once again

00:36trying to destroy Ukraine's energy system and infrastructure ahead of winter.

00:42And so they urgently need air defense, additional air defense capabilities, which is, again,

00:47a topic you heard Secretary Austin talk about last week.

00:51And so providing Ukraine with additional interceptors more quickly, it's an existential

00:58situation.

01:01And so this prompted the decision to resequence near-term plan deliveries of critical air

01:08defense interceptors to go to Ukraine.

01:11So that's the reason for why now.

01:16And practically what that means is that it will increase their inventories more quickly

01:22to enable them to continue to defend that critical infrastructure and the civilian population

01:28as we go into the winter here.

01:30One more on Patriots.

01:31We saw Romania today announcing that they will also provide additional system to Ukraine

01:36on the condition that the Allies and the United States would help them to fill that gap.

01:40So could you please speak more about that?

01:42Will the U.S. replace the system that Romania is providing to Ukraine?

01:45Will it be something else?

01:46Yeah.

01:47So I won't speak for Ukraine other than to say, again, as Secretary Austin highlighted

01:52last week in Brussels – and, oh, by the way, has been talking about now for a long

01:57time – is air defense continues to be a priority.

02:01And so the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, you know, over 50 Allies and partners have

02:06coming together to find ways to provide capabilities to Ukraine when it comes to air defense.

02:12And certainly, you know, many countries have stepped up in that regard, whether it be

02:16Patriots, whether it be Samtees, whether it be, you know, the NASAM capabilities.

02:21So we're obviously grateful for those countries that continue to do that and will continue

02:27to keep after that.

02:28Like, are there any specific plans to fill that gap for Romania because they are saying

02:33that there is a condition that Allies and especially the United States will help to

02:37find a temporary solution?

02:39Yeah, look, again, without getting into specific details, as a – you know, both bilaterally

02:45and as NATO Allies, we work with all of our partners to take into account what their defense

02:52needs are, and we're going to do everything we can to support those.

02:56You know, in the case of this re-sequencing here, again, all the affected countries were

03:01notified.

03:02And, again, we're working with them to make sure, as I highlighted to Tony, that industry

03:07can work to get those requirements filled.

03:12So across the board, you know, we're going to do what good Allies do.

03:16Oh, by the way, the fact that we've re-sequenced these interceptor deliveries for Ukraine,

03:25again, the bottom-line message here is – to our Allies and partners – is if there's

03:29an existential threat, you know, we're going to step up and we're going to help you,

03:32as we are in this case.

03:33So.

03:34Thank you.

'Why Now And Not Earlier?': Pentagon Grilled On Decision To Redirect Patriot Missiles To Ukraine

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