Ukrainian servicemen walk past a Patriot air defence system at an undisclosed area on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) The US has reportedly approved Germany’s transfer of 125 long-range artillery missiles and 100 Patriot air-defense missiles on Friday. Berlin’s transfers came after Germany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz assumed office on Tuesday, with the West – including the US – joining hands in a rare call to press Moscow into accepting a 30-day unconditional ceasefire on Saturday. The New York Times (NYT), citing “a congressional official,” reported the approval in its Saturday report, adding that though originating from Germany, the weapons still require US export approval. The report also addressed Kyiv’s dilemma in foreign aid, namely that Europe might not be able to step up in time to replace US weaponry. Yehor Chernev, the deputy chair of the Ukrainian parliament’s committee on national security, defense and intelligence, told the NYT that Ukraine is short on long-range missiles, artillery and ballistic air-defense systems such as the Patriots. “Europe is trying to replace the assistance that we lost from the United States, but unfortunately, they don’t have the capacity to do this,” Chernev told the NYT. Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, echoed a similar sentiment. “They are hitting the dual problem of having to rearm themselves and supply Ukraine, and industrial capacity isn’t big enough to do both,” Savill told the NYT, adding that Europe might be able to replace US aid for Kyiv “in the medium to long-term.” Source: www.kyivpost.com
US Reportedly Approves Patriots, Long-Range Missiles Transfers to Kyiv
