Ukraine will be receiving US-made made Patriot air defence systems in the coming weeks, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Thursday, days after Donald Trump’s announcement of a new weapons deal for Ukraine.
“At this hour, the defense ministries are discussing the details of how we can ensure the appropriate delivery of Patriot[s] to Ukraine in a short time. This could take weeks. The negotiations are very specific, the American side is ready to do this, but we do not have a result yet,” Merz said on Thursday.
Another European official, Nato’s Supreme Allied Commande Europe General Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed on Thursday that he has been instructed to deliver the Patriots to Ukraine as quickly as possible, without revealing the exact number of weapons that will be funneled to Ukraine.
“We’re working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer, and the guidance that I’ve been given has been to move out as quickly as possible,” Grynkewich stated, stressing that “we are working as quickly as we can.”
On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a plan to send more weapons to Ukraine and threatened the Kremlin with economic punishment if peace isn’t reached in 50 days. The president announced the plan during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the White House. The deal will see European nations purchase US weapons, then transfer them to Ukraine.
Trump’s new plan marks a shift in US policy towards Russia-Ukraine war and Trump’s new approach to Russia. Trump seems to be disenchanted by Russia’s willingness to accept US-proposed peace deal. “I felt we had a deal about four times,” Trump said, referring to a prospective peace agreement with Russia. “But it just kept going on and on.”
