(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of Starlink services and related equipment and Patriot air defense sustainment and related equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Friday. The transactions are worth $150 million and $179 million, respectively. On Thursday, the Pentagon announced U.S. approval for the sale of air-launched cruise missiles […]
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US approves potential sale of Starlink services, Patriot equipment to Ukraine
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(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of Starlink services and related equipment and Patriot air defense sustainment and related equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The transactions are worth $150 million and $179 million, respectively. On Thursday, the Pentagon announced U.S. approval for the sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for an estimated $825 million.
The Trump administration has agreed with European allies to step up military support for Kyiv as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Russia into agreeing a peace deal to end its war in Ukraine. Under the agreement, European governments will pay for U.S. weapons on Ukraine’s behalf.
Starlink has been integral to Ukraine’s communications on the battlefield, including its control of drones, the backbone of its military’s strikes on Russian forces.
The Patriot systems have proven effective at destroying Russian ballistic missiles aimed at Ukraine’s cities.
Despite approval by the State Department, the notifications do not indicate that contracts have been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by Don Durfee; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)