EU, NATO pressure Greece, Spain to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

European Union and NATO countries are pressuring Spain and Greece to transfer interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. According to the agency, requests to share their arsenals were made this summer. The issue is expected to be discussed in person at meetings of EU defence and foreign ministers in Dublin on September 1 and 2.

Representatives of Ukraine, the UK, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland will also join the talks. One option under consideration is for Norway to purchase the missiles and subsequently transfer them to Kyiv.

According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian officials say the country’s air defence capabilities are being depleted amid intensified Russian attacks. The shortage has also been exacerbated by high demand for Patriot missiles in the United States amid the war with Iran.

Madrid and Athens have some of the largest stocks of PAC-2 missiles, some of which are approaching the end of their service lives. Greece is resisting the pressure, the agency notes. Greek authorities point to the need to maintain their arsenal because of tense relations with Türkiye.

Ukraine expects additional air defence supplies through the PURL system, a programme that allows NATO allies to purchase US weapons for Kyiv. EU countries are currently discussing whether to allow Ukraine to purchase more Patriot missiles using the €90 billion loan allocated to the country. Meanwhile, both US-made missiles and their European SAMP/T counterparts face long delivery queues and production delays, the agency reports.