Will NATO send Patriots to Zelensky?
The United States and NATO are considering sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine. And former Russian President Medvedev warned the Atlantic Alliance against supplying Kiev with Patriot systems
Ukraine urges Western partners to strengthen air defenses, including sending US-made Patriot systems.
Since the start of Russia's attack on Ukraine in February, Kiev has repeatedly called for more Western air defense systems along with other weapons and equipment to counter Kremlin missile and drone strikes.
Yesterday the ministers present at the NATO foreign ministerial in Bucharest condemned what they call Russia's "persistent and inconceivable attacks against Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure" and pledged to strengthen their support for Kiev.
In addition, Poland has asked Germany to supply the Patriot system to Ukraine. Following the November 15 Przewodow incident (when a missile hit an agricultural plant killing two people) , Berlin offered Warsaw Patriot systems and Eurofigher multi-role fighters to enhance the security of its airspace. After agreeing, the Polish government requested that the Patriots be deployed in Ukraine as support against the Russian invasion. The German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht, replied that these are NATO systems: therefore, their deployment outside the territory of the Atlantic Alliance must be discussed by the States parties.
And just yesterday on the sidelines of the meeting in Bucharest, the secretary general Stoltenberg declared that "NATO is evaluating the transfer of the Patriot area defense system to Ukraine", explaining how discussions on the matter are underway within the Alliance. Moscow replied immediately: former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO against supplying Ukraine with Patriot missile defense systems, reports Reuters .
The Patriots, made by the US company Raytheon, are the most advanced surface-to-air missile defense systems that NATO has in its repertoire. They are capable of tracking and eliminating incoming ballistic and cruise missiles and aircraft.
THE DEMANDS OF UKRAINE
Since the Russian invasion last February, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been calling for Patriot systems to be deployed, but recently there has been a resurgence of interest in these systems as the country comes under major missile attacks on its power grid.
Ukraine needs US-made Patriot missile defense systems to protect its civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reiterated today. "The message is simple: send Patriot as soon as possible because this is the system Ukraine needs to protect its civilian population and its infrastructure," he stressed at today's Foreign Ministerial meeting in Bucharest.
THE LOCATION OF STOLTENBERG
"NATO is evaluating the transfer of the Patriot area defense system to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said yesterday. “There is discussion now on new weapon systems like the Patriots but it is important to be sure that the systems already supplied are working and effective, so that maintenance, ammunition and spare parts are provided,” Stoltenberg added.
AND THAT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
The United States is also considering handing over the Patriots to Ukraine. This was stated by a senior Pentagon official quoted yesterday by CNN . “All options are on the table,” the official said in response to a question about whether the United States was considering sending Patriot batteries to Ukraine. “Patriot is one of the air defense capabilities being considered,” the official added. Ukraine's air defense is of "top priority" for the United States, the official said.
MEDVEDEV'S WARNING
"If, as Stoltenberg hinted, NATO supplies the zealots in Kiev with Patriot air defense systems, as well as with Alliance personnel, they will immediately be regarded as legitimate targets of our armed forces." This was stated by the deputy president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, after the words of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Bucharest. “I hope the message is clear for the powerless in NATO,” Medvedev added.
THE PATRIOT DEFENSE SYSTEM
The Patriot (Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target) is the long-range surface-to-air defense system, produced by the US Raytheon Technologies. As AnalysisDefense explains, the Patriot Pac-3 system “markedly surpasses the SAMP/T in effectiveness. The system is capable of defending airspace both autonomously and in combination with fighter aircraft. It can be used up to an altitude of over 20,000 meters (vertically) and has a range of over 50 kilometers (horizontally). In the context of long-range DTA systems, this is an exceptionally large operating distance. The Patriot therefore makes a decisive contribution to integrated air defense.
Since January 2015, Patriot has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat operations around the world, Raytheon's website reads. There are 17 countries deploying this air defense system including Germany, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
In 2012, the NATO foreign ministers council approved the deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkey on the border with Syria, as requested by the Ankara government.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/la-nato-mandera-i-patriot-a-zelensky/ on Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:16:48 +0000.