Germany Closes In on Deal With US to Deliver Air Defense to Kyiv
The deal would entail Berlin sending two Patriot batteries to Kyiv from its own inventories, while President Donald Trump's administration will agree to replace the weaponry from industry stocks, according to people familiar with the deliberations.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government has made air defense a top priority after weeks of intensifying attacks take a toll on Ukrainian cities. Moscow unleashed a new assault overnight, targeting central and western regions of the war-battered nation.
'Together we have to stop this war machine by joining forces to support Ukraine with all our might,' German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday during a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — a gathering of defense chiefs among Kyiv's allies.
Berlin will do its part to help furnish a total of five Patriot systems to Ukraine 'as quickly as possible,' he said, without elaborating on the negotiations with the US.
German and American officials aim to finalize remaining issues of the Patriot deal, including the timing for replacing depleted stocks, the people said on condition of anonymity as talks take place behind closed doors. An announcement could come later this week, they said.
Germany has already provided three of its 12 Patriot systems to Ukraine. Since Berlin has also lent two systems to Poland, its own stock is now down to seven. Berlin is therefore willing to pass on more Patriot systems to Ukraine as long as it is guaranteed rapid replacements from the US, said the people.
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A US notification to the Swiss government that a Patriot order will be delayed raised the chances of a breakthrough in talks with Germany, the people said. The US Department of Defense informed Switzerland last week that the delivery of five Patriot systems ordered in 2022 won't meet an initial 2028 deadline.
The Swiss-ordered Patriots have a different configuration, which could take as long as eight months to be adjusted for battlefield use, the people said. German and US negotiators are expected to discuss the reconfiguration this week, they said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has lobbied for a deal with Trump in several phone calls in the last few weeks. The agreement would involve Germany — the biggest European donor of military aid to Kyiv — financing the Patriots. The US president last week announced the supply of additional military aid, including Patriots and other defense systems — provided that they're funded by NATO allies.
Depending on the configuration, each of the Patriot systems, which are manufactured by Arlington, Virginia-based RTX Corp., cost about $1 billion — and the system's missiles about $4 million each. Trump has also threatened to impose 100% 'secondary tariffs' on Russia if Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire within 50 days.
Separately, the UK and Germany were set to pledge new air defense systems for Ukraine as London pushes for a '50-day drive' to arm Kyiv and bring Putin to the negotiating table. Defense Secretary John Healey hosted the contact group meeting along with Pistorius via video conference.
The UK Defense Ministry confirmed it had sent £150 million of air defense and artillery to Ukraine in the past two months. Additional agreements include a deal between Britain and Germany to procure more air defense ammunition, using €170 million of funding from Berlin.
With assistance from Ellen Milligan and Skylar Woodhouse.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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