Berlin will deliver two additional Patriot air-defense launchers to Ukraine in the coming days, following one of the deadliest Russian attacks on Kyiv since the Kremlin launched its war against Ukraine.
The German delivery is the result of an agreement with the US. Berlin will send equipment to Kyiv from its own inventories, while President Donald Trump’s administration will agree to replace the weaponry from industry stocks. The Germans will pay for it.
The death toll in Ukraine’s capital after Thursday’s combined drone and missile attack by Russia rose to 31, including five children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said another 159 people sustained injuries, including 16 children.
Two to three months
The situation highlights the uneven nature of the relationship among three Nato allies, i.e., the US, the EU, and Ukraine. The Europeans hail as good news that Washington is willing to make money off them on defence procurement. The Ukrainians, in turn, can do little else but sigh in relief that it only takes 45 months of unrelenting bloodshed, a pro-Russian figure in the White House and a couple of German chancellors‘ combative speeches (including a Zeitenwende) for Europe’s number-one power to act.
Following the delivery of the two Patriot launchers, Germany will hand over further system components within the next two to three months, according to a German statement Friday. In return, Germany will be the first nation to receive newly produced, latest generation Patriot systems from the US Department of Defense.
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Together we have to stop this war machine by joining forces to support Ukraine with all our might. – German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius
German chancellor Friedrich Merz has pressed Mr Trump to continue American military aid for Ukraine. The US president has shown his willingness for further military assistance for Kyiv, but has made clear that he expects European countries to pay for it.
Swiss reconfiguration
President Zelensky’s government has made air defense a top priority after weeks of intensifying attacks take a toll on Ukrainian cities. “Together we have to stop this war machine by joining forces to support Ukraine with all our might,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday during a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group –a gathering of defense chiefs among Kyiv’s allies.
German and American officials finalised remaining issues of the Patriot deal last week, they said. Germany has already provided three of its 12 Patriot systems to Ukraine. Since Berlin has also lent two systems to Poland, its own stock is now down to seven. Berlin is therefore willing to pass on more Patriot systems to Ukraine as long as it the US guarantees rapid replacements, people familiar with the issues told Bloomberg.
The US president last week announced the supply of additional military aid, including Patriots and other defense systems, provided that NATO allies will pay for it. A batch of Swiss-ordered Patriots is also in the offing. However, these have a different configuration, which could take as long as eight months to adjust for battlefield use, media reports said last week.
UK on a 50-day drive
Depending on the configuration, each of the Patriot systems, which are manufactured by Arlington, Virginia-based RTX Corp., cost about $1bn; the system’s missiles set the buyer back by about $4m each. Trump has also threatened to impose 100% “secondary tariffs” on Russia if Moscow leader Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.
Separately, the UK and Germany were set to pledge new air defense systems for Ukraine as London pushes for a “50-day drive” to arm Kyiv and bring Mr Putin to the negotiating table. Defense Secretary John Healey hosted the contact group meeting along with Mr Pistorius via video conference.
The UK Defense Ministry confirmed it had sent £150m of air defense and artillery to Ukraine in the past two months. Additional agreements include a deal between Britain and Germany to procure more air defense ammunition, using €170m of funding from Berlin.
