30 Apr / 2024
Spain and Greece face pressure to provide air defenses to Ukraine as a meeting of the EU’s foreign and defense ministers is taking place in Luxembourg on April 22.
That’s according to Financial Times.
The armies of these two states have more than a dozen Patriots and lots of S-300s which they aren’t likely to need soon, hence, have an opportunity to send some of them to Ukraine.
“The two leaders, whose armed forces possess between them more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as S-300s, were told that their needs were not as great as Ukraine’s and that they did not face any imminent threats,” wrote FT, citing sources in Brussels.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has been already asked about such deliveries, but he refused to give a direct answer as he arrived to the meeting in Luxembourg.
Poland and Romania also have Patriots, but they aren’t that pressured as they share the border with Ukraine.
After Ukraine had asked for additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians, only Germany has announced the supply of one additional Patriot system.
As reported by Tagesschau, the German defence and foreign ministries of Germany also launched an initiative to find more air defense systems for Ukraine. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius have reached out to both EU and NATO members and other countries to figure out whether there are more systems to be procured and delivered to Ukraine quickly.
Read also: Sweden willing to provide more anti-aircraft systems and missiles to Ukraine
