European Parliament refuses EU Council budget approval until additional Patriot systems for Ukraine secured
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European Parliament decided to not approve budget of EU Council until EU countries will find additional Patriot missile systems for Ukraine, MEP and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said on X on April 11.
Read also: EU top diplomat Borrell criticizes Western powers for lack of support for Ukrainian air defense
“European Parliament refuses to fulfill Council’s budget until European Council decides to support Ukraine with additional Patriot missile systems,” the statement reads.
He said that EU countries have hundreds of such systems, while Ukraine needs only seven. The decision was supported by 515 parliamentarians, 62 were against.
Partiot air defense systems for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine received US Patriot systems not from US but from partner countries on March 28. He said that money allocated for Patriot systems never came to Ukraine directly. Transfer of these air defense systems was handled by EU countries.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had submitted requests for air defense systems to every country that possesses them on March 30.
Read also: Patriot air defense systems continue to perform tasks in the frontline areas – Air Force
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he is now working to receive seven Patriot air defense batteries as soon as possible.
According to Kuleba, his team has identified more than 100 vacant Patriots - some neighboring countries use more than one battery to guard a single port or airfield.
Read also:
Desperate Ukraine asks to borrow Patriot air defense systems from its allies, will return when asked
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
