WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, marking a major step in providing defensive weapons to Kyiv under President Donald Trump's administration.

However, the missiles are unlikely to reach Ukraine until the early 2030s.

The US State Department announced the approval this week. The sale is among the most significant steps taken to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons since Trump began his second term.

Delays in missile deliveries have increased tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Trump recently announced a diesel deal with Russia and criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over Ukraine's refusal to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine has repeatedly warned that it urgently needs more missile interceptors to defend itself against growing waves of Russian missile attacks. The Patriot system is considered the most effective weapon for destroying fast-moving ballistic missiles.

Earlier this week, Zelenskiy said Ukraine had been waiting nearly a month for Washington to approve essential missile supplies. His comments came as Russia increased attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.

Despite the approval, Ukraine will not receive the missiles immediately. Such weapons sales usually take several years to complete. Two people familiar with the US decision said the missiles have not yet been manufactured and are not expected to arrive until sometime in the early 2030s.

One source said Ukraine's Defense Ministry was asking the Pentagon to speed up deliveries. One option being considered is to supply Kyiv with missiles already available in US military stockpiles and replace them later with newly manufactured Patriot interceptors.

The State Department said Canada, Germany and Norway would contribute towards the purchase. The remaining funding will come from national funds supported by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan.

The purchase will be made through a program called US JUMPSTART. According to the Pentagon, the program uses financial contributions from allied countries to purchase weapons, services, and military training for Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion.

JUMPSTART was previously used in August to purchase 3,350 air-launched cruise missiles worth $825 million. US defense companies Zone 5 Technologies and CoAspire manufactured the missiles.

US defense company Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for the Patriot missile sale.

The latest agreement comes as the United States faces growing pressure to maintain its weapons supplies to allies while also meeting the demands of its own military operations.

The US has supplied large quantities of weapons to its partners and used significant amounts of ammunition during its military operations in Iran. This has raised concerns about dwindling stockpiles of key air defense systems and precision-guided weapons.

In July, the US Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.

Lockheed Martin said the agreement would help it meet its commitment to triple production capacity for PAC-3 MSE missiles by the end of 2030. The company also plans to increase employment at its manufacturing plant in Camden, Arkansas, by 50 percent, raising the workforce from 1,200 to about 1,850.

The company had previously announced plans to increase annual production of Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to 2,000 units.

Meanwhile, Pentagon officials are pressing defense contractors to increase production much faster. Preliminary production agreements reached earlier this year are central to efforts to expand missile manufacturing and address growing demand for advanced air defense weapons.

However, the lengthy manufacturing process means Ukraine may have to wait several years to receive the newly approved missiles, despite its urgent need to strengthen its air defenses.