German pressure over the European Union to provide Ukraine with Patriot systems

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pressuring European Union leaders to send more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine as Russia escalates its missile and drone strikes on energy infrastructure and urban centers.

Speaking to reporters after an informal meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels, Scholz said that “Germany will send a third Patriot system to Ukraine, and six other systems will follow soon from member states,” without giving further details.

“I hope everyone will complete the formation of public opinion as soon as possible, because it’s also an essential factor… We’ve heard that there should be seven more now,” Scholz said.

In addition to the Patriot system, Germany will deliver more IRIS-T and Skynex air defense systems to Kiev with accompanying ammunition.

Since the beginning of the war, Germany has become the largest supporter in Europe for Ukraine.

The German Chancellor repeatedly urged European Union leaders to increase their support, especially amid delays in the delivery of aid and weapons from the United States.

Ukraine is struggling to stave off military pressure from Russia in the face of an ammunition shortage, and with a $61 billion US aid package stuck in Congress.

The ministers of the G7 countries reaffirmed their condemnation of what they described as “the ongoing aggressive war waged by Russia against Ukraine,” and affirmed their unlimited support for Ukraine in defending its sovereignty.

They said in the statement, “We call on all countries to respect international law and not agree or condone in any way Russia’s attempts to seize territory by force, in violation of the basic principles of the United Nations Charter… We’ll not recognize the legitimacy of the so-called past or future referendums conducted by Russia in Ukrainian lands”.

They reiterated support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself, saying, “We’ll strengthen our defense and security assistance to Ukraine and increase our aid… We also support efforts to help Ukraine build a future force capable of self-defense and deterrence against all aggression”.

The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, urged G7 ministers to act quickly on-air defense in Ukraine, as the energy system would be destroyed due to Russian attacks as the invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin enters its third year.

“Western countries, such as Japan, Canada, the United States and Europe, must make faster decisions in order to support Ukraine more, because we cannot afford a Putin victory,” Borrell said.

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more air defense systems to be sent to Ukraine, as Kremlin forces exploit the country’s weakness to intensify missile attacks on power plants, the electricity grid and residential areas across the country.

“The situation is very dangerous and we have to send them what they are asking for, which is ammunition and air defense,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters earlier during the summit on Thursday.

She added: “We cannot afford for Ukraine to lose the war, or for the entire security situation in Europe to be in grave danger”.

Germany has launched an appeal for Ukraine’s Patriot missiles and other air defense systems, including Samp/Ts, Nasams, Hawks and Iris-Ts.

In a joint letter sent to NATO allies this week.

The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the recent Russian attacks on vital energy infrastructure caused greater devastation than what happened in the winter of 2022; They said about the military aid, and It’s a very urgent matter.