Putin shrugs off Ukraine’s Patriot missile systems from U.S. as “quite old”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said America’s $1.85 billion aid package to Ukraine was an attempt to “prolong conflict” in eastern Europe, while scoffing at the U.S.-made Patriot missiles systems included in the offering.

According to a transcript from a press briefing, Putin was asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s visit to the U.S. the day prior, to which the Russian leader said “the United States has been doing this for a long time.”

“It has long been involved in the processes that took place in the Soviet and post-Soviet space,” he continued.

Putin’s comments come a day after President Joe Biden announced America’s latest military aid package for Ukraine during Zelensky’s visit, raising total U.S. assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion to more than $21 billion.

The Patriot surface-to-air missile systems included in the security package are designed to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russian airstrikes. This systems, which cost an estimated $4 million per missile, can hit targets flying up to 50,000 feet from 12 miles away.

Putin told his media outlets, however, that the Patriot systems promised to Ukraine were “quite old systems” that do not work like Russia’s defense.

“It’s just prolonging the conflict, that’s all,” Putin added.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pointed to the Kremlin’s comments at Thursday’s press briefing as an example of Putin amplifying “another existing Russian information operation designed to decrease Western security assistance for Ukraine.” As ISW notes, Putin has previously been “setting conditions” for a prolonged war in Ukraine prior to the U.S. promising the advanced defense systems.

The think tank also reported that the Patriot systems promised by the U.S. will not escalate Ukraine’s war with Russia but “instead augment Ukraine’s ability to protect critical civilian infrastructure” from Russian offensives.

Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov echoed Putin on Wednesday, however, saying Zelensky’s visit to Washington, D.C., showed that the U.S. and Ukraine were not serious about reaching a peaceful resolution with Russia. Antonov also questioned how Ukrainian soldiers were going to be able to operate the newly promised Patriot systems.

“Despite our warnings, [a] Patriot air defense system will be sent to Kyiv,” Antonov said, according to Russian state news agency TASS. “However, the country does not have specialists to work with them. So, will those be American specialists? Or citizens of another NATO country?”

Newsweek previously reported that a senior U.S. Department of Defense official said it could “take several months to ensure Ukrainian forces have the training they need to employ” the Patriot systems “successfully.”

Newsweek has reached out to ISW for comment.