Germany urges US to supply Ukraine with at least one Patriot system

The German government insists that the United States supply Ukraine with at least one more Patriot missile defense system to help close the gap in the air defense system.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

Berlin's campaign of pressure on its transatlantic ally is part of a coordinated effort to force NATO and EU partners to increase assistance to Ukraine in the field of air defense, sources said.

This week, Germany will also continue to pressure European allies, including France and Italy, to assess what they can provide.

Germany's push is a kind of reversal of the role of Scholz, whose government has often been criticized for delaying arms deliveries since Russia's invasion. The German leader remains opposed to sending Kyiv the long-range Taurus missiles, arguing that such supplies risk making the country a party to the war.

But Scholz has spearheaded efforts to send more Patriot and other air defense systems to Ukraine as the war-torn country faces increasingly frequent attacks that are destroying its energy infrastructure and urban centers.

In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the intensity of Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Massive missile attacks by the Russian Federation have depleted Ukraine's air defense systems. This allowed Russian troops to inflict significant damage, including the destruction of thermal power plants and thermal power centers.

In response to the critical situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that only 25 American Patriot air defense systems were needed to reliably protect the country's airspace.

Germany was the first to respond to Ukraine's call for help with air defense systems. The German authorities took an inventory of their stockpile and started searching for additional systems around the world.

As a result of these efforts, Germany decided to provide Ukraine with another Patriot system.

However, Ukraine's priority is not only Patriot but also Samp-T systems capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. Negotiations are currently underway to receive two Patriot batteries and one Samp-T battery.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 23/04/2024