Following reports that Washington might supply Kiev with Patriot defense systems, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadaire General Pat Ryder made a contradictory statement on Tuesday.

"Right now we have no plans to provide Patriot batteries to Ukraine but again, we’ll continue to have those discussions," Ryder told reporters in a briefing.

"There will continue to be an ongoing discussion," he added, noting that "when we have more to announce on that front, we certainly will."

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The statement came on the same day that another senior Defense Department official stated that the United States is considering sending Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine.

The Patriot batteries would complement the existing capabilities provided to Kiev and would help counter ballistic missile attacks, US defense officials said.

The US Defense Department had said it provided National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine earlier this month, saying they were already operational.

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