German Defense Minister: Patriot Supply to Ukraine Will Take Months
Germany's Defense Minister said there should be no illusions about supplying Patriots to Ukraine, as it would take several months to deliver.
According to RIA Novosti on July 15, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said after a meeting with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth that the delivery of Patriot systems to Ukraine would take months after reaching an agreement with the US on the purchase of those complexes.
“The reality is that Ukraine really needs the Patriot system, and we recognize that. But don’t have any illusions about the Patriot system that we are talking about. The Patriot should come to Ukraine, but it will take many months to deliver. And it will take days or weeks until a decision is made. But then everything will happen quickly,” said Minister Pistorius.
At the same time, the German Defense Minister added, the parties decided not to report the number of systems supplied, as they would have to determine what a Patriot unit means in terms of technical specifications and number of missiles. Mr. Pistorius estimated the cost of one battery at about $1 billion.
Earlier, in an interview with the Financial Times, Minister Pistorius spoke about plans to discuss with his US counterpart Hegseth about purchasing two Patriots systems from the US for later transfer to Kiev.
On July 14, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine will soon receive Patriot air defense systems from European countries, which will add to Europe's arsenal by purchasing them from Washington. In addition, the US leader said that the North Atlantic Alliance will also pay for the supply of US weapons to Kiev.
