US approves sale of interceptor missiles to Ukraine | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News - NHKニュース

The administration of US President Donald Trump says it has approved the sale of PAC-3 interceptor missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for an estimated 2.1 billion dollars.

The US State Department announced the decision on Friday, saying Ukraine had requested the purchase and will pay for it with funds from Canada, Germany and Norway, among other sources.

The department said, "The proposed sale will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats."

The announcement is seen as signaling the Trump administration's support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country is grappling with a shortage of interceptor missiles to defend against Russian attacks.

This comes after Trump took steps that could be seen as favoring Moscow. Earlier this month, he reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on diesel supplies from Russia and eased sanctions against Moscow.