International USA and partners pledge to strengthen Kiev's air defenses
The USA and other NATO states want to supply Ukraine with additional equipment to defend against Russian air attacks.
10.07.2024, 00:55
SDA
This was announced by US President Joe Biden at a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the defense alliance in Washington. In a joint statement by the USA and several partners, there was also talk of "additional" Patriot air defense systems.
In addition, dozens of tactical air defense systems - such as the Nasams or Iris-T type - were to go to Kiev, the statement continued. "These systems will further expand and strengthen Ukraine's air defense." The joint declaration was issued by the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy, among others.
In his speech to the heads of state and government, Biden said that Ukraine should also receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles.
In recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had urged that additional Patriot systems were needed to protect Ukrainian cities and conurbations.
The USA had already provided a Patriot system for Ukraine. Biden approved the delivery around a year and a half ago, when Selensky traveled to the USA for his first trip abroad since the start of the Russian war of aggression. The US government also regularly supplies Ukraine with Patriot missiles.
According to Kiev, it has received a total of four Patriot systems to date. Three of these were provided by Germany. Another has been promised by Romania, among others.
The Patriot air defense missile system is one of the most modern in the world. It is used to combat enemy aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The defensive missiles can hit targets at a distance of around 100 kilometers and at altitudes of up to 30 kilometers in an imaginary bell around the position - depending on the missile used. Using radar, the Patriot system first assesses which flying objects in the sky belong to the enemy. In the event of a threat, soldiers in the control center fire the missiles to neutralize the targets.
The war in Ukraine is one of the main topics at the NATO summit in Washington. The heads of state and government of the 32 member states of the defense alliance are celebrating NATO's 75th anniversary there.
The meeting coincides with the hot phase of the US election campaign. Presidential elections will be held in the USA in November. Following his TV debacle against challenger Donald Trump, Biden is fighting on all fronts to save his candidacy for the election. A week ago, he made a disastrous appearance in the evening TV duel, made several promises and lost the plot. After the performance, a debate erupted in the USA to a whole new extent about whether Biden is the right Democratic candidate for the presidential election in November.
