Preparations are underway for the rapid transfer of additional Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, NATO’s top military commander, Alexus Grynkewich, said yesterday, as that country endures some of the heaviest Russian attacks of the war so far.
“We are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer,” he said at a conference in the German city of Wiesbaden.
The United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump this week announced a tougher stance against Russia over its more than three-year war in Ukraine and promised new missiles and other weapons for Kyiv.
On Tuesday, he said that some Patriot missiles, coming from Germany, were already on their way to Ukraine.
“A meeting of countries that possess Patriots and Ukrainian donors, aimed at finding additional Patriot air defense batteries for Kyiv, and which will be chaired by Grynkewich, could be held on Wednesday next week,” a source close to the talks said.
According to the source, the expert-level meeting is expected to be held at NATO’s military headquarters, SHAPE, near the Belgian city of Mons.
Grynkewich said there is also a problem of sequencing regarding the deliveries to Ukraine.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio just spoke about the capabilities located in Europe that can be moved faster than something coming off a production line. The production line can then be used to replenish the capabilities donated by others,” Grynkewich emphasized.
He said he did not know how many Patriot systems could be released for delivery to Kyiv.
“There will be a lot more to follow; we will move as quickly as we can on this issue,” he said.
After meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that a decision on delivering two U.S. Patriot systems to Kyiv could be made within a few days or weeks.
Germany has already donated three of its own Patriot units to Kyiv.
