Financial Times: Hard pressure on Greece to send Patriot and S-300 to Ukraine

Their Greek Patriots and the S-300 eput in the “eye” of the Allies to give to Ukraine. The Financial Times reveal that Greece and Spain are expected to come under intense pressure at a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers in Luxembourg on Monday (22/4).

As noted, Greece and Spain have a large number of anti-aircraft systems, which Kiev can leverage to protect Ukrainian cities from Russia’s escalating attacks. Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot systems, which will “save many lives,” as Zelensky has stated.

It is noted that after the online meeting of the NATO Council with the participation of Ukraine, Mr NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the allies have pledge to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems.

It is noted that a senior EU official told the Financial Times that member states are expected to take another step forward and offer Ukraine what it needs to confront Russia.

Personal pressure on Mitsotakis for the Patriots

“The European leaders personally urged the prime ministers of Spain and Greece Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ssummit summit in Brussels last week to donate air defense systems to Ukraine, according to people familiar with the talks,” the Financial Times reported. They also note:

“To the two leaders, whose Armed Forces have more than 12 Patriot systemsbut also some other systems, such as the S-300, European leaders pointed out that their needs are not as great as Ukraine’s and that they face no imminent threat». “We all know who has them (including the air defense systems), we all know where they are and we all know who really needs them,” one of the sources told the FT.

Germany was among the first to pledge an additional Patriot air defense system, followed by the Netherlands, which announced it would provide an additional $210 million in air defense and artillery munitions for Kiev.

Kiev also uses long-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the former Soviet Union, including the S-300 and S-200. THE Ukraine appears to have expressed interest in the systems in question, particularly the S-300s that Greece hasas they remain effective and the Ukrainian army knows how to use them, without the need for further training.

“There are countries that are not in immediate need of their air defense systems, to be perfectly honest“, as stated by an EU diplomat. who participated in the preparations for the Summit, in which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will participate via video conference. “The most important discussion concerns what member states can do to support Ukrainian air defense. That is the most important thing,” said a senior EU official.

Stoltenberg: Announcements are coming

THE NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenbergin the framework of checks carried out to identify available air defense systems from the member states of the Alliance, said: “From this mapping it is confirmed that there are systems, such as the Patriot, in countries that are available to be given to Ukraine.”

“I expect new announcements on strengthening air defense in Ukraine soon… I expect concrete announcements in the near future based on the information shared with us” by the Alliance member states on available air defense systemshe said, adding: “Many allies who do not have available systems have pledged to provide financial support to purchase them for Ukraine.”