Politico | The US Army’s Iron Dome could be headed to Ukraine
- A new bill seeks more money for Kyiv’s defence, and a missile-defence system might be in the mix
- Such a move would be likely to increase tensions with Moscow, which has been fighting a proxy war in eastern Ukraine since 2014
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Paul McLeary on politico.com on September 14, 2021.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has kept up Washington’s shipments of weapons and training to the Ukrainian military, including US$275 million worth of equipment and support packages since March.
But some in Congress are looking to do more and have included an amendment attached to the 2022 defence bill that would pressure the Biden administration to sell or transfer new air and missile defence systems to Ukraine, including potentially sending an Iron Dome battery currently being operated by the US Army.
Included in the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2022 defence policy bill is an amendment requiring the Pentagon to submit a report to Congress outlining options for potentially selling or transferring “existing systems” to Ukraine that are likely not going to be deployed in the near-term.
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Russian troops massing near Ukraine’s eastern border sparks invasion fear
The suggestion of selling or sending new air defence systems to Kyiv would be likely to increase tensions with Moscow, which has been fighting a proxy war in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and would regard such a transfer close to its border as a provocation. Russia has long complained about an American ballistic missile defence system in Romania, claiming it could be used for offensive purposes, an accusation the US and Nato have dismissed.
