Swedish DM suggests his country might send additional Patriot systems to Ukraine
Sweden could provide Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems, suggested Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson, AP news agency reported on April 22.
Read also: Poland may transfer Soviet-era anti-air missiles to Ukraine — President Duda
"I don't exclude this possibility, but right now we are focused on financial contributions," he said.
Jonson added that Sweden will send other systems to Ukraine that could "partially relieve the pressure" of Patriot systems lack.
Additional air defense systems for Ukraine
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Western partners do not want to give Ukraine "five or seven" Patriots, although they have more than 100 on April 3.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 25 Patriot systems or their equivalents are needed to fully protect Ukraine's airspace from Russian attacks on April 6.
Kuleba said that Ukraine is currently in active negotiations with its allies to get two Patriot batteries and one SAMP-T on April 12. Foreign Ministry also added that Russia destroyed Trypillia TPP only because Ukraine did not had sufficient number of Patriot systems.
Read also: NATO has plenty of air defense systems to share with Ukraine — Stoltenberg
Zelenskyy also commented on strike on Chernihiv on April 17 that killed 18 people and said that "this would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense systems."
EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell said that EU countries should send their air defense systems to strengthen Ukraine's air defense at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers on April 18.
Helmut Rauch, head of Diehl Defense, arms company that produces Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile system, said on April 18 that Ukraine would receive new system "in the next few weeks."
At a meeting in Italy, G7 foreign ministers promised to help Ukraine strengthen its air defense on April 19.
Read also: Ukraine downed Russian Tu-22 bomber with makeshift anti-air systems — Budanov
Lower house of the US Congress, House of Representatives, votes in favor of a bill that provides over $60 billion in support for Ukraine on April 20.
Bill will be considered by the US Senate on April 23, after which it will be signed by President Joe Biden to come in force.
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