FT: A number of European countries have rejected Ukraine’s requests for Patriot air defence systems
The Ukrainian authorities are pushing Poland, Romania and Spain to transfer Patriot air defence systems to Kiev, the Financial Times newspaper said, citing two unnamed sources.
“Kiev is lobbying for Patriot systems from Poland, Romania and Spain to be sent to Ukraine,” sources familiar with the negotiations told the newspaper.
According to the Financial Times, European countries have said they have no plans to send air defence systems to Ukraine, arguing that they themselves “need to preserve their defence capabilities”.
“They (Ukraine – ed.) only need seven (Patriot systems – ed.). But it (agreeing on the shipment – ed.) is difficult,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.
The newspaper quoted Polish President Andrzej Duda as saying in Vilnius on Thursday that the Polish authorities had ruled out the possibility of Patriot deliveries to Ukraine. According to the Financial Times, Duda said that there was still a possibility that he might transfer more Soviet-made missiles to Kiev, but did not specify “which ones and in what quantity”.
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