Top NATO commander gives update on Patriots for Ukraine
Vladimir Zelensky has been increasingly urging his Western backers to provide more Patriot units recently. Russia, which claims to have destroyed some of the air defense systems since 2022, maintains that no amount of military aid to Ukraine can change the outcome of the conflict, and only serves to prolong the bloodshed.
In an article on Thursday, Reuters quoted Grynkewich as saying he was under orders to carry out the delivery 'as quickly as possible.'
'There will be a lot more to follow,' he added, without providing any further details.
The media outlet cited an anonymous source as saying several Western nations are expected to hold a meeting next Wednesday to discuss securing additional Patriot batteries.
Following a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the delivery arrangements could be finalized 'within days or weeks,' although it may take months before Ukraine actually receives the missile systems.
While Berlin has indicated its readiness to cover the cost of the Patriots, it remains unclear where the launchers will come from, as Berlin only has six such missile systems itself, as recently acknowledged by Pistorius.
US President Donald Trump has recently toughened his rhetoric toward his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being unwilling to end the Ukraine conflict.
Commenting on Trump's recent remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the decision to deliver more weapons to Kiev would likely be 'perceived by the Ukrainian side… as a signal to continue the war.'
As for Germany, the country is 'becoming dangerous again,' the official claimed on Monday.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that European nations are funding the 'death' of Ukraine by paying for weapons sent to Kiev.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Vucic says no to EU bargain over Moscow
Belgrade will not impose sanctions on Russia under any circumstances, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday, rejecting remarks by his government minister, who suggested the country could align with EU policy in exchange for faster membership talks. However, Belgrade will not betray its principles in pursuit of some short-term gains, Vucic added. According to the president, Serbia would continue to seek good relations with both Russia and the EU as this policy 'has proven to be correct so far.' 'It is the policy of the independent and sovereign state of Serbia,' he said. The president also called EU Integration Minister Nemanja Starovic's words 'careless' and maintained that some media at home and abroad were just too quick to jump to conclusions. 'Serbia will not impose sanctions on the Russian Federation,' Vucic stated. Speaking to the Austrian news agency APA earlier this week, Starovic said that Belgrade opposes sanctions against Russia because they 'would not affect Russia at all' but would hit the Serbian economy 'on a massive scale.' He maintained that Serbia would be ready to fully comply with Brussels' policies once 'EU membership is in sight.' Serbia remains one of the few European countries that has refused to impose sanctions on Russia or openly side with Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. Vucic had previously stated that the EU has pressured Belgrade to abandon its neutral stance and sever ties with Moscow. In May, Vucic became one of the few European leaders to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. The Serbian president, along with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, visited Russia despite facing significant pressure from Brussels. During the visit, he reaffirmed Belgrade's commitment to long-term energy cooperation with Russia following a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
Austria may abandon neutrality for NATO
Austria should be ready to discuss its potential membership in NATO, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger has said. She acknowledged, however, that joining is unlikely to gain major public or parliamentary support at this stage. In an interview with Die Welt published on Saturday, Meinl-Reisinger spoke about what she described as 'an increasingly aggressive Russia,' which she claims is reluctant to conclude a peace deal with Ukraine. Moscow has maintained it is open to dialogue, but insisted that any settlement must take into account its key security concerns, including that Kiev agree to permanently stay out of NATO. According to Meinl-Reisinger, 'neutrality alone does not protect us.' She explained that Austria should invest not only in 'defense capabilities,' but also in military partnerships. 'I am fundamentally very open to a public debate' about Austria's future in this field, she said, adding: 'While there is currently no majority in parliament or among the population for NATO membership, such a debate can nevertheless be very fruitful.' DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Russia Today
‘Corrupt' Ukraine cannot be trusted – ex-Trump advisor
Kiev's recent crackdown on anti-corruption agencies is yet more proof that Ukrainian leaders are leaning towards authoritarianism and 'cannot be trusted,' Steve Cortes, a former advisor to US President Donald Trump, has said. Earlier this month, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky moved to place the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under executive oversight – which would essentially strip them of any independence – while claiming the agencies were under Russian influence. The move, however, prompted mass protests at home and Western criticism, with EU officials warning that they could reconsider further aid to Kiev. In an op-ed for Newsweek on Friday, Cortes, who is now the president of the League of American Workers advocacy group, described the crackdown as 'an extra-judicial attack on decency.' 'This raid reeks – and it smells like gangsterism, not democracy.' The move by Zelensky, reportedly backed by his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak – whom Cortes described as 'co-president' – shows that they 'act in very authoritarian ways themselves – and increasingly reveal to the world that they are not transparent, reliable partners for the United States.' Cortes went on to accuse Kiev of entrenched high-level corruption and argued that continued US aid is unjustified. 'It is no wonder that Americans increasingly realize that sending $175 billion of borrowed money to corrupt leaders in Ukraine is just not sound policy,' he wrote. 'Sending mountains of borrowed funds to kleptocrats actually harms America's national security, all while making our country poorer,' he said while urging Americans to stop lionizing Zelensky and comprehend the reality of Ukraine's corruption. The American people have been unbelievably generous, but our patience is wearing thin... In this case, given the latest tactics and optics of the Zelensky/Yermak regime, it becomes ever clearer that these counterparts cannot be trusted. Following domestic and international backlash, Zelensky backpedaled on the crackdown, proposing that the independence of Ukraine's anti-graft institutions be restored. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that neither NABU nor SAPO is really fighting corruption but rather are used by Kiev's backers as tools 'to control the flow of money coming to Ukraine from the West.'
