WASHINGTON, June 21. /TASS/. The United States will only ship interceptor missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine, not the systems themselves, US National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said during an online briefing.

"Right now we just don’t have eligible systems coming off the production line. So it was something we looked at, but right now the focus is really going to be on the missiles themselves," he said.

After announcing Washington’s decision to ship all newly-produced Patriot and NASAMS batches to Ukraine to the detriment of other clients, Kirby noted that the US currently does not have available newly-produced systems of this type, adding that, while Washington considered this option, only the missiles are in the White House’s focus at this point.

At the same time, Kirby added that the US government considered the possibility of delivering the systems themselves.

"We did take a look at the broader system writ large — the launchers, the radar systems, all that go with that — and I think we’d be open to it," he said. "As I said, we’re open to continue to look at the possibility of systems themselves being redirected."

The US official added that Washington had been working closely with other countries, in Europe and beyond Europe, that have such systems about their willingness to contribute those systems to Ukraine.

"I would even describe it as a parallel effort. And we’re going to continue to do that going forward," he said.