Biden announces $225 million weapons package for Ukraine, including Patriot system

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has announced a new $225 million aid package for Ukraine, including a Patriot missile system to bolster its air defenses against a deadly onslaught of Russian airstrikes. Biden made the announcement during a meeting Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called the announcement “strong news.” But Zelenskyy pressed that for the immediate future, what the Ukrainians also need is U.S. permission to fire the long-range missiles it has provided at targets deeper inside Russia. The Patriot air defense system would be the second the U.S. has provided to Ukraine, and it is one of several Biden announced this week at the NATO summit in Washington.