Biden not concerned Russia will view Patriot missile transfer as escalatory step
Christian Datoc
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President Joe Biden defended the United States’s decision Wednesday to provide Ukraine its requested MIM-104 Patriot missile system and said he does not believe Russia will view the steps as an escalatory action by the U.S.
Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Wednesday afternoon and faced two related questions on the topic during the leaders’ bilateral press conference.
HOW THE PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEM WILL AID UKRAINE
“I did not discuss that at all with the president, but it’s a defensive system,” Biden said in response to a question from CNN’s Phil Mattingly. “It’s not escalatory.”
Biden also addressed concerns from a Ukrainian reporter that, despite the billions in aid supplied by the U.S. so far, the Biden administration has not greenlighted offensive weapons transfers, including long-range missiles requested by the Ukrainians.
“Well, his answer is yes,” Biden responded with a gesture toward Zelensky after the Ukrainian reporter asked if the U.S. would simply meet all of the Ukrainians’ defense requests.
“There’s an entire alliance that is critical to stay with Ukraine, and the idea that we would give Ukraine materiel that is fundamentally different than is already going there would have a prospect of breaking up NATO and breaking up the EU and the rest of the world,” Biden continued. “We’re going to give Ukraine what it needs to be able to defend itself.”
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You can watch Biden’s press conference in full below.
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