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“… The ability of the U.S. and allies to provide air defenses to Ukraine, particularly against the growing threat of ballistic missiles, is limited not just by the cost of the Patriot systems but also by the West’s limited production capacity.After Trump Deal, Ukraine’s Fortunes Hinge on How Fast NATO Can Deliver Arms
President’s agreement to sell advanced arms to European allies so they can pass them to Kyiv is milestone in three-year-old war
Gift —> https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/uk...8?st=ktxiCD&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
“… The promised buildup in Ukraine’s defenses, announced Monday at the White House by Trump and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Mark Rutte, depends on getting enough Patriots into the country quickly, and in the long run stepping up the West’s production of interceptors for shooting down Russian drones and ballistic missiles, analysts said.
“The Russian tactic is to get the Ukrainians to waste all their existing air-defense stocks and leave them exposed to a late summer or fall offensive,” said Celeste Wallander, who was a senior Pentagon official in the Biden administration. “If this is going to change Putin’s calculation on whether he will win, substantial deliveries would have to be carried out through the summer.”
Trump’s decision is still a milestone. His agreement to sell advanced arms to European allies so they can pass them to Kyiv marks the first time the White House has agreed to furnish weapons for Ukraine that go beyond the deliveries former President Joe Biden set in motion before leaving office.…”
“Glass half full: Trump is giving Putin the real deadline of 50 days with a clear consequence if he doesn’t move to a cease-fire. Glass half empty: 50 days is very far away when Ukraine is being hit by 700 drones a night,” said Kristine Berzina of the German Marshall Fund think tank.
“If Europeans send their existing Patriots to Ukraine and use the new supplies from the U.S. to backfill, then it will matter. But if Germany and others wait for new Patriot systems before sending more to Ukraine, the help will seem far too late,” Berzina said….”
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But sending Ukraine Patriots that the Europeans have in hand now creates a risk of being double-crossed by Trump refusing to supply the replacements later.