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A top US official has confirmed that the United States is now providing Ukraine with air defense missiles previously contracted for purchase by other countries.

This move was confirmed by National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, who told reporters, “The United States has made the difficult decision to reprioritize near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries, of particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles, to go to Ukraine instead.” He added, “The United States has a robust foreign military sales program where our defense industrial base produces and then exports materials to other countries, including air defense missiles. We’re going to reprioritize the deliveries of these exports so those missiles rolling off the production line will be provided to Ukraine.”

Kirby noted that this decision would not affect air defense munitions destined for Taiwan and Israel, though he declined to specify what countries would experience delays in their purchases.

This development comes as Ukraine has been seeking to acquire at least seven more patriot missile systems, arguing that they are needed to help bolster its air defense against Russian attacks, which have recently begun focusing on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again.

Recently, Romania stepped up to provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, which resulted in Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky praising the move as a “crucial contribution.”