US Commits Patriot Missiles to Ukraine in New Funding Agreement

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The United States has pledged to supply Ukraine with Patriot missile defence systems as part of a significant funding deal aimed at bolstering Kyiv’s ability to counter Russian missile and drone attacks. President Donald Trump announced the move, which will see European NATO allies cover the costs to reduce the financial burden on the US, marking a notable shift in Washington’s approach to the ongoing conflict.

The decision follows growing frustration in the White House with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tactics. In a statement on Sunday in Washington, Trump confirmed the Patriot missile agreement would form part of a major announcement during his meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte on Monday. “It’s business for us, and we will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin surprised a lot of people,” Trump said. “He talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening.”

The agreement comes after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal Trump ally, revealed the president told him last week it was “time to move” on supporting Ukraine. In an interview with CBS News, Graham described the deal as a “turning point” in the war. “The idea of America selling weapons to help Ukraine is very much in play,” he said, adding that plans were in motion to pursue seized Russian assets more aggressively and increase arms sales to European allies for Ukraine’s benefit. “Putin has calculated that we would get tired and Europe would get weary. He made a huge mistake,” Graham stated.

Graham also sharpened his criticism of nations supporting Russia’s economy, particularly China, India, and Brazil. India buys oil from Russia, cheaply, and resells it. That’s despicable,” he told CBS News. “The only way you’re going to end this war is to make people who prop up Putin choose between the American economy and helping him.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported the elimination of Russian FSB agents near Kyiv, accused of assassinating a high-ranking Ukrainian intelligence officer, Colonel Ivan Voronych, in a brazen daylight attack last Thursday. The SBU stated on Telegram that the agents were “liquidated” after resisting arrest during a special operation led by Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk. CCTV footage showed a masked man shooting Voronych in a Kyiv car park. The New York Times reported that Voronych was part of an elite unit conducting covert operations behind Russian lines.

The SBU’s operation follows a pattern of escalating covert warfare. Ukraine has conducted audacious attacks deep in Russian territory, including drone strikes on air bases and targeted assassinations. In April, a car bomb killed Russian general Yaroslav Moskalik in Moscow, and in December, an electric scooter explosion claimed the life of General Igor Kostyukov, whom the SBU accused of authorising chemical weapons use.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the renewed US support, noting “good signals” from Washington after a temporary freeze on Pentagon weapon shipments. Speaking on Sunday, he highlighted the intensity of Russian attacks, with over 1,800 drones, 1,200 guided bombs, and 83 missiles targeting Ukraine in the past week alone. “The Russians are intensifying terror against cities and communities to increasingly intimidate our people,” Zelensky said.

Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, retired general Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv on Monday, according to a senior Ukrainian official, signalling further diplomatic engagement. As the conflict intensifies, the US commitment to supplying Patriot missiles underscores a renewed determination to counter Russia’s aggression, while the intelligence war reveals the high stakes on both sides.