The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that Ukraine had been trying to get the American Patriot air defense system for a long time.

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote about this on Facebook.

According to him, the first request to the USA to supply these air defense systems was made in 2021 by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

"I remember how they were skeptical about this call then, but we believed and worked at all levels. I remember how in November-December 2021 I raised this issue at the negotiations," Kuleba wrote.

The minister also stated that when the full-scale invasion of Russia began, both Defense Minister Reznikov, Yermak, and President Zelensky requested the Patriot from the United States.

The conversation was updated again in November 2022.

"And here is the final chord, December, the telephone conversation between the leaders of Ukraine and the USA and Biden's words, which we waited so long for and for which we did so much. Undoubtedly, it was the close, trusting relationship between the presidents that played a key role," Kuleba wrote.

According to the diplomat, the Patriot air defense system will help save Ukrainian lives and infrastructure.

At most, this is a strategic defeat for the Russian Federation, which will lose the leverage of intimidation and terror.

It will be recalled that US President Joe Biden announced the provision of a new 

package  for Ukraine worth 2 billion dollars.

It will take several months to train the Ukrainian military to use

anti-aircraft missile systems .

Read also:

• Zelensky and Biden give a joint press conference: live broadcast

• Biden on the war: "For three hundred days, the people of Ukraine show Russia and the whole world their steel essence"

• Before Putin's attack, the USA helped Ukraine to "be ready for war" - Biden