Germany defense chief vows to send extra Patriot missiles to Ukraine
(MENAFN) Germany's defense chief has committed to rapidly advancing plans to send additional US-manufactured Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, aiming to do so with minimal public attention. This announcement followed a high-level meeting in Washington with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to reports, the talks occurred on Monday at the Pentagon, shortly after US President Donald Trump declared a new military aid initiative for Ukraine that would be bankrolled by European NATO allies. Trump also warned Russia of “severe tariffs” if no peace agreement is achieved within 50 days.
“We agreed to discuss [the details] very, very quickly – quietly and quickly – at the working level,” Pistorius told journalists after the meeting. He acknowledged that technical, logistical, and financial aspects still need to be addressed but expressed confidence that these challenges can be managed.
The arrangement to send at least two Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine could be finalized in the coming days or weeks, according to Pistorius. However, he cautioned that the systems’ physical transfer might still take months to complete.
Germany has signaled willingness to finance the systems, with each unit expected to cost around $1 billion. However, it’s uncertain where these launchers will originate. Germany’s current inventory reportedly includes only six Patriot systems, as three have already been supplied to Ukraine since the conflict escalated in 2022.
Trump has stated that “several nations” are prepared to contribute missile defense systems from their own reserves. He also mentioned that one unnamed country "has 17 Patriots getting ready to be shipped.” It remains unclear whether this refers to individual launch units or fully equipped batteries, which typically comprise multiple components, including radar systems, command vehicles, and launch platforms.
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