U.S. to deliver air defense systems to Ukraine by delaying shipments to allies

State of play: National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby announced the plan during a call with reporters Thursday.

• U.S. allies who will see their air defense system shipments delayed have been notified, Kirby said.
• "We will make sure we give Ukraine the air defense system it needs. We are grateful for our partners understanding," he said.

Zoom in: The first shipments to Ukraine will take place over the coming weeks, before the end of summer, Kirby said.

• It's not yet clear how long the delays for other allies will be, he noted.
• The upcoming shipments "will fill out Ukraines inventory of patriot missiles for the next 16 months," he added.

The big picture: The new air defense interceptors are sorely needed. A New York Times analysis last month found that Ukrainian air defenses were increasingly struggling to intercept Russian missiles, posing a threat to the country's critical infrastructure.

• However, the problem isn't due merely to a lack of air defense systems. Russia has also shifted tactics to firing faster missiles that are more difficult to intercept and launching larger barrages of missile strikes that overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, per the Times.

• President Biden alluded to the move during last week's G7 summit, saying that other countries awaiting air defense system deliveries would "have to wait" for Ukraine to receive its supply, the Wall Street Journal reported.