Europe refuses to give up its precious Patriots to Ukraine. Despite the good words of recent days and the renewed “sense of urgency” transmitted from the European Union and NATO, the Twenty-Seven yesterday appeared hesitant and even reluctant to cede these advanced missile defense systems to Kyiv. Except for Germany, no country has announced sending new equipment to Ukraine since Russia intensified its airstrike campaign.
Made in the United States, the Patriots missile defense systems, valued at one billion euros per piece of equipment, are considered an integral part of each country's national defense, hence the reluctance to get rid of them despite the fact that NATO has encouraged allies to take the step. The Dutch Government admitted that it is a “difficult” decision. The Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, expressed along the same lines, whose Government is rather considering contributing financially to the purchase of new equipment for Ukraine and sending, in the meantime, the RBS-70 short-range portable system. “Now that you are all around the table, it is time to act, not to argue,” the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmitro Kuleba, told the European foreign and defense ministers, whose government demands six new Patriots batteries.
The pressure increases and the focus, increasingly, is on Spain and Greece, two countries far from the war front that have these systems. Ukrainian diplomatic sources have confirmed to this newspaper that the Government of Volodymyr Zelensky has once again approached Spain – which has four Patriot batteries, one of them in Turkey – to ask it to contribute. The issue was addressed a year ago and then Pedro Sánchez's executive resisted, although he did send Nasams anti-aircraft missiles and trains Ukrainian soldiers in their use.
"Spain is going to continue supporting Ukraine, as it has done until now, in everything it needs and is in our power," Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares assured in statements to the press in Luxembourg, who said he had not felt pointed out during the debate. The head of Spanish diplomacy avoided specifying whether the new military aid package prepared by the Ministry of Defense will include any Patriot battery – or any of its components – and described it as a “mistake” to publicize the type of equipment that is being sent to them. . “Going into details does nothing to help what we want,” which is to contribute to the defense of Ukraine and the protection of the civilian population.
Romania and Poland also have Patriots but their geographical location discourages them from giving them up and their governments have said that it would be preferable to ask them to be handed over to “Western countries” rather than to those close to the war line. “There are some (Patriots) in Western Europe who would perhaps be more useful deployed in Ukraine,” said Polish Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
“I don't have Patriots in Brussels. The capitals have the Patriots and it is up to them to make decisions,” said the high representative of EU Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, at the end of the meeting, visibly frustrated by the lack of progress, who nevertheless believes that there is a “ genuine understanding” about the seriousness of the moment and the urgency to give Kyiv the help it requests, which also includes the shipment of 155 mm caliber ammunition. All eyes are on the meeting that Ukraine's allies will hold, in the so-called Ramstein format, this Friday in the German city of the same name. “The topic is ripe, everything has already been said. Now it's time to act,” Borrell concluded.
