PNN – Financial Times wrote: At the same time as Russia has the upper hand in airstrikes and Ukraine’s urgent need to receive air defense system, Kiev’s request to deliver more of this system was rejected by the Western allies.
According to Pakistan News Network’s report from this newspaper, after a week of incessant Russian missile and drone bombardment against energy plants in Ukraine, European governments have resisted Kiev’s requests to send its air defense system to that country.
Kiev has long warned that it urgently needs air defense equipment to defend itself against Russian missile bombardment.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of this country, this week insisted even more on his need for the American-made Patriot air defense system and severely criticized the western countries for ignoring the extensive destruction of their power plants.
In his speech at the “Three Seas Initiative” summit, which is also known as “Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea Initiative” and was held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, he said that Ukraine is involved in a daily routine; As it suffers daily Russian airstrikes and then asks for more air defense systems that its allies promised.
Zelensky added: Every day, the Russians cut off the electricity in Kharkiv and our other cities, and every day we hear that new aid will arrive soon, but words and reality are not the same.
On the other hand, EU foreign policy official Josep Burrell said in this context: It is not possible to imagine such a thing if the Western countries cannot provide Ukraine with seven missile air defense systems. That too in the situation that they have nearly 100 systems in their arsenals.
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In the meantime, two informed sources told the Financial Times that Kiev is lobbying to receive air defense systems from Poland, Romania and Spain.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kulba confirmed in a television program of his country late yesterday that active negotiations are underway with allies to acquire two Patriot air defense systems and a medium-range French SAMP/T air defense system.
Although Kulba did not name these allies, it is said that Ukraine is negotiating with Poland and Spain for the aforementioned systems.
According to reports, Ukraine currently has at least three Patriot missile systems and one SAMP/T system, which it received in 2023.
Informed sources, pointing to the same amount of air defense systems that Kyiv has, emphasized that Ukraine only needs seven systems. The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that European capitals have said they have no plans to send more systems to Ukraine, arguing they need to maintain their defense capabilities.
According to reports, Germany has already given two Patriot systems to Ukraine and this week made it clear that it has no plans to send more.
Finland’s new NATO member Alexander Stubb said this week when asked if he thought other countries should send more weapons: In my opinion, any decision to reduce the level of strategic reserves rests with our defense forces and our military and should always remain confidential.
At the same time, the Polish army has also emphasized that it cannot provide Ukraine with its Patriot air defense system, even though it is waiting for the delivery of the American systems.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, who attended the Vilnius meeting, ruled out sending Patriot systems to Ukraine, but said Warsaw might be able to transfer more of its (former) Soviet-made missiles to Kiev.