The effort of the West, specifically the US, to coordinate the deployment of the Patriot anti-aircraft systems in Ukraine is developing into a race, while Kiev is pushing for an acceleration of the procedures.
The US Pentagon says it will “run” the mission Patriot and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of the new military aid package. The US will use $6 billion for this purpose, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed on Friday. However, the Patriot systems to launch the missiles will not be sent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he said the Patriots are “urgently” needed to counter the growing Russian air threat and “can and must save lives right now.”
A source confirmed to BBC that the $6 billion was part of a $60 billion aid package signed by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday, which also includes $1 billion in more immediate aid. Mr. Austin told a news conference that the US is committed to the biggest to date security aid package and will “move immediately” to get supplies to Ukraine.
These would include air defense munitions, anti-unmanned aircraft systems and artillery munitions, but not Patriot missile systems. “It’s not just the Patriots that are needed [οι Ουκρανοί]other types of systems and interceptors are needed,” Mr. Austin said. “I’d like to caution us all about the Patriots being presented with a silver bullet.”
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, said the aid should eliminate the need for Ukrainians to share missiles on the front lines. Some of the latest funding will also go towards developing Ukraine’s defense industry so it can start making more of the munitions it desperately needs.
Mr Austin said Russia had already increased its domestic production of artillery ammunition and other weapons – as well as being supported by supplies from Iran and North Korea. “Understand what is at stake for Ukraine, Europe and the United States,” he said. “If Putin prevails in Ukraine – Europe will face a security threat it has not seen in a lifetime. Russia will not stop in Ukraine.”
A Ukrainian security source told the AFP news agency that Moscow wanted to damage Ukrainian railway infrastructure to “paralyze deliveries and movement of military cargo”. Ukraine only has a few Patriots to complement other Western missile defense systems and its existing stockpile of Soviet-era surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) such as the S-300.
These are the most capable and expensive air defense systems that Ukraine has. Each Patriot array it costs around $1bn (£800m) and each missile costs nearly $4m.
Germany has already pledged an extra Patriot system – and its defense and foreign ministers appealed to their European counterparts earlier this month to respond urgently.
Greece, on the other hand, as noted by the BBC, has Patriot and S-300 stocks, but has declared that none can be made available. “We explained why we can’t do it,” said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on SKAI television. He said that his country’s air defenses are “critical systems for the protection of Greek airspace”.
Greece’s refusal was also reported yesterday by a Politico publication which cited statements by the German Minister of Defense, Pistorius, who seemed not to understand the reasons behind the position of Greece and Spain, which despite her initial objections, she seems to find a compromise solution.
As the Prime Minister said, “Greece is not going to send Ukraine either S-300 or Patriot. We were asked and explained why we can’t do it. Let me explain it in a little more detail: Greece has supported Ukraine in various ways, with defense material. But we have said from the first moment that we cannot dispose of weapons systems which are critical to our deterrent capability. We have surplus material with which we can support Ukraine, we have done so and I think it is the right choice. And, to the extent that we can find such material, we will continue to do so. However, the air defense systems you mentioned are critical systems for the protection of Greek airspace and will not be granted to Ukraine.”
As Politico commented, Athens refuses to commit to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky the delivery of missiles for security reasons as the government worries about Turkey’s intentions.
Spain will reportedly supply some Patriot missiles, but not a full system. THE Spain will deliver to Ukraine missiles for air defense systems Patriot, the Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed yesterday Friday. Earlier, Spanish newspaper El Pais revealed that Madrid had decided to supply Kiev with surface-to-air missiles for Patriot systems, but without launchers or radar.
Robles confirmed the report in a teleconference of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, the Spanish Defense Ministry said. The briefing notes that Robles did not specify whether or not Spain would deliver Patriot radars and launchers.
Spain has three Patriot arrays, one of which is stationed in Turkey as part of NATO’s deployment of forces to deter missile attacks from Syria.
The Spanish defense minister also underlined Madrid’s unwavering support for Kiev, assuring that it would continue to bolster the Ukrainian army in its fight against the Russian invaders. In this context, it will deliver additional Leopard tanks, which are currently being repaired. The first batch is estimated to be deployed in Ukraine by the end of June.
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