Hopes for Patriot in Ukraine extinguished after Germany ban
WARSAW ($1=4.51 Polish Zlotys) — German Defense Minister Mrs. Christine Lambrecht said Thursday that the Patriot air defense kits offered to Poland are intended for use on NATO territory. Thus, she opposed the Polish proposal to send this system to Ukraine.
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On November 15, two rockets [according to some sources three] fell on the territory of Poland. They caused the death of two Polish civilians. They also caused material damage. Later on November 16, the Polish President Mr. Andrzej Duda announced that regardless of who fired the rockets, Poland believed it was an accident and not intentional.
Poland wants to protect itself from subsequent incidents that may also take innocent human lives. Also in this way assuming that further incidents are possible, the MIM-104 Patriot officially joins the war in Ukraine, as a passive presence, protecting a non-belligerent country from the weapons of both belligerents.
On Sunday, November 20, Lambrecht [SPD] offered support to Poland, including Patriot air defense systems and Eurofighter fighter jets, which will guard Polish airspace. On Wednesday, the Deputy Prime Minister, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Mr. Mariusz Blaszczak, informed that he had asked the German side to transfer the Patriot batteries to Ukraine.
“These Patriots are part of NATO’s integrated air defense, which means they have to be deployed on NATO territory,” Lambrecht said. “Any use of them outside NATO territory will require prior talks with NATO and allies,” she added.
The Patriot system is an American medium-range anti-aircraft system. Poland selected the Patriot system as the basis for the Wisła medium-range air defense program in April 2015. By the end of 2022, two Patriot batteries [16 launchers] should be equipped with the Polish army. In addition, two US Patriot batteries are deployed in Rzeszow, Poland.
Germany had 36 Patriot batteries when it was NATO’s front line during the Cold War. German forces currently have 12 batteries, two of which are deployed in Slovakia.
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