Blog Post: The American 1.85 Billion Package and the Patriot Missile System 

Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to the White House and his powerful address to Congress, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on December 21st, 2022, that the United States would provide 1.85 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine. Despite Biden’s previous negative rulings on deploying a patriot missile system, the Russian strikes on Ukrainian Energy Supplies amidst winter directly attacked uninvolved civilians, thus allowing the US government to change their international policy position on the premises of providing military aid to end a humanitarian crisis.

The Patriot Missile System is considered one of the most advanced military defense systems. It includes launchers with radars and support vehicles. It is “capable of bringing down Cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems.” The “Patriot battery has a strike range of roughly 20 to 100 miles — much too small to cover the entirety of Ukraine, which is about 800 miles from east to west and more than 500 miles from north to south.” Although it will certainly not protect Ukraine entirely, the Patriot will provide significant help to Ukraine’s defense by alleviating pressure from other smaller defense systems, while simultaneously attacking major threats with the Patriot’s technology.

If nuclear deterrence is the ultimate goal of NATO, and considering China’s position as an adversary in a possible nuclear fallout, should the United States and other NATO nations continue spending such high quantities of military arsenal in Ukraine? How can the alliance ensure aiding the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis while simultaneously complicating the decision-making of the possible Chinese adversary?