German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to further bolster Ukraine’s air defenses to help protect the country against Russian missile attacks this winter.
(Bloomberg) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to further bolster Ukraine’s air defenses to help protect the country against Russian missile attacks this winter.
The government in Berlin will supply a second Patriot air-defense system to help shield key infrastructure, Scholz told reporters Thursday after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a summit of European leaders in Granada, Spain.
“This is a far-reaching step,” Scholz said, adding that the package should arrive during the winter months and would make a significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s security.
Germany provided Ukraine with a first Patriot system in April and the latest donation follows a devastating Russian attack earlier on Thursday on a village in Eastern Ukraine that killed more than 50 civilians. The Spanish government pledged six additional Hawk air-defense systems.
“Patriot is the only system that can deal with all types of Russian missiles,” Zelenskiy told reporters after meeting with Scholz. The Ukrainian president stressed that air defense was a focus of all his bilateral meetings in Granada.
Germany has been Ukraine’s most generous supporter in Europe, providing billions of euros in financial and humanitarian aid and sending a wide range of military gear including armored infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard battle tanks and self-propelled howitzers.
For the German government’s list of military support for Ukraine click here.
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