Germany has requested air defense systems for Ukraine from its allies

Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz said that his government is trying to find six more Patriot air defense systems from its allies in addition to the one that was previously promised to Ukraine. Scholz spoke in Brussels at a press conference after the European Council meeting, reported world media.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba previously stated that Ukraine is aware of the presence of one hundred systems in the arsenals of allied countries. He asked to transfer at least seven Patriot batteries to protect Ukrainian cities.

The day before, the heads of the German Foreign and Defense Ministry, in a letter to dozens of countries, announced a global initiative to attract additional air defense systems for Ukraine.

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, called on allies to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems, in particular the Patriot air defense system. On Thursday, April 18, at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Brussels, he said that this must be done regardless of what decision is made in Washington on financing military assistance to Ukraine.

“We cannot rely only on the United States. […] We must do this. We have Patriot, we have anti-missile systems.” According to Borrell, they need to be taken from the garrisons where they are “just in case” and sent to Ukraine, where the war is raging. He called for this problem to be solved as quickly as possible.