Countries in the European Union containing U. S. Patriot air defense systems, which were made in the USA, appeared hesitant to share their goods with Ukraine on Monday as Kyiv demanded seven of the missile batteries to support stop Russian airstrikes.
Europe’s reluctance to ( again ) come to the aid of Ukraine contrasts with U. S. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA ) and Democrats who passed a$ 61 billion bill to further Ukraine’s war effort over the weekend, as Breitbart News reported.
Although Russia’s air force is significantly stronger than Ukraine’s, advanced missile systems developed by Kyiv’s Western partners can challenge Russian aviation as the Kremlin’s forces advance slowly along the approximately 620-mile battlefront, according to AP reports.
Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot stated that the Netherlands is “looking at every kind of chance at the moment” and is providing financial support to a European initiative to help Ukraine strengthen its air threats and purchase more robots.
Soviet Hypersonic Missile Missile Shot Down With U.S. S. ‘Patriot ’ Defence System, Ukrainians Claimhttps ://t. co/PFHOE5CeQN
— Breitbart London ( @BreitbartLondon ) May 6, 2023
When asked why the Netherlands is reluctant to send some of its Patriot systems, Slot responded,” We are looking again if we can destroy our business of what we still have, but that will be hard. ”
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson even expressed reluctance over sharing the anti-aircraft weapon system, saying:“ I don’t remove that chance, but right now we’re focused on economic efforts. ”
He claimed that Sweden did send additional methods to relieve the need for Patriots.
According to the AP report, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said his nation would “make its decisions based on the energy it has in its arms to assist Ukraine.” ”
“ I don’t think we’re helping anyone if we hear all the time what it is that ’s being given, when it ’s being given and how it ’s getting in, ” he told reporters at the meeting in Luxembourg.
The Patriot is a guided missile system that you target aircraft, boat weapons and shorter-range nuclear weapons. A truck-mounted launcher with eight launchers that can accommodate up to four missile interceptors can be installed in each cell, as well as a ground sensor, a power station, and a machine.
A significant benefit of the U. S. -made systems, aside from their success, is that Russian forces are now trained to use them.