Germany is pressuring the US to supply at least one more Patriot system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.
According to the report, Berlin is putting pressure on Washington as part of a coordinated effort to increase air defense assistance to Kiev. It is noted that this week, Germany will also continue to urge Kiev's European allies, including France and Italy, to ensure that they assess what else they can provide to Ukraine.
Earlier, after a scheduled meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the foreign minister-level in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin would again call on allies to check the availability of air defense systems that could be given to Ukraine.
EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell also claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had "desperately" asked him "the other day" for seven Patriot systems. Kuleba later said in an interview that his "friendly" diplomacy had not worked, and that he now plans to ask the West for Patriot air defense systems in a tougher manner.
Western countries have been providing military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. Russia has consistently warned the West against continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing they do nothing but escalate hostilities and prolong the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any military cargo is a legitimate target for Russia.