“NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that some EU countries have significant stocks of interceptor missiles for air defense systems and can transfer them to Ukraine.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: correspondent of “European Pravda” with reference to Rutte’s statement
Details: Rutte asked the European states to transfer to Ukraine interceptor missiles for air defense, which are stored in their arsenals.
Advertising:
“You know the representatives of which countries are present in this hall. I could inform you confidentially, but not in an open meeting, who exactly is sitting on a large stockpile of interceptors. The Supreme Commander of NATO’s combined armed forces in Europe said that he fully agrees that a significant part of this weaponry should be transferred to Ukraine, as it is now an obvious priority,” Rutte said.
He drew the attention of MEPs that “from 20 to 50 rockets and hundreds of drones are released every night in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and other large populated areas of Ukraine.”
“Interception rates have decreased, and this happened because some NASAMS systems currently in Ukraine do not have enough interceptor missiles to repel. Patriot systems also need a constant supply of PEC missiles for interception,” stated the NATO Secretary General.
He noted that there are two ways to cover this deficit: the first is “aid packages from the United States, since a significant part of this system consists of interceptors for the NASAMS and Patriot complexes,” the second is “what you have in your national arsenals.”
“Where possible, help put pressure on your governments to do this; some governments are already acting,” the head of NATO told the members of the European Parliament.
“I am constantly working with your leaders. Please help me as parliamentarians in this work,” he added.
Mark Rutte emphasized that this is “a matter of life and death every day”, as well as “a matter of protecting Ukraine’s critical, in particular energy, infrastructure”.
We will remind:
- As European Truth reported, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also asked the EU on January 26 move away from the “buy European” rule in weapons purchases for Ukraine.
- Recently, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed concern that the deepening of the confrontation between the United States and European states will hit the Ukrainian air defense capability.
- At the same time, Zelensky said that the PURL initiative, under which states purchase weapons for Ukraine from the US, a total of 24 countries have already joined.
- Earlier it was also reported that the Pentagon concluded an agreement for tripling missile production to Patriot.