Ukraine boosts air defense with Patriot missiles; Europe pays
Germany has delivered three Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine, according to The Washington Post, which cites anonymous official sources.
The delivery was part of a new scheme proposed by US President Donald Trump: American-made weapons for the Ukrainian army, funded by European countries, writes The Moscow Times.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated that Ukraine hopes to receive ten Patriot systems through this mechanism. At a meeting of Ukraine's allies on July 21, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Berlin intends to contribute to the delivery of five such systems but offered no details.
According to The Washington Post, three of these have already been transferred, and Germany is currently negotiating with Washington for the remainder.
The American publication notes that some of the Patriot systems could also come from non-NATO countries. For example, the Swiss Ministry of Defense announced that five systems previously ordered from the American manufacturer will be redirected to Ukraine, and deliveries to Switzerland will be delayed.
In this context, Lithuania's Defense Minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, announced Vilnius's intention to join the collective acquisition of American air defense systems for Ukraine, according to LRT. She stated that Lithuania plans to allocate up to 30 million euros for this purpose.
Discussions also continue regarding a possible delivery of long-range missiles to Ukraine, the same source writes. Germany had previously refused to send Taurus cruise missiles. However, according to The Washington Post, NATO diplomats do not rule out the possibility that the US may consider delivering its own long-range missiles, despite Donald Trump's stated reluctance.
On July 14, Trump announced his intention to deliver 17 Patriot systems to Ukraine with the financial support of NATO allies. The decision was confirmed at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the "Ramstein" format, where allies expressed their commitment to strengthening Ukraine's air defense.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
