The Netherlands Aim to Provide Complete Patriot Air Defense System for Ukraine

The Netherlands is ready to provide components of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile complex from its own stocks and is in talks with other countries to assemble a complete system.

This was announced by the press service of the country's Ministry of Defense on Tuesday, May 28.

"We are in talks with countries about assembling the Patriot system, as well as about training Ukrainian crews. With our proposal and if other potential partner countries can supply components and ammunition, we can provide Ukraine with at least one complete system in the short term," said Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly asked partners to transfer Patriot air defense systems, in particular to protect the Kharkiv region, which is subjected to daily Russian strikes.

On May 23, after a wave of strikes by Russian forces on Kharkiv and region, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on countries that have Patriot systems to speed up decision-making and provide them to Ukraine. According to Kuleba, Ukraine urgently needs seven Patriot systems, and Kyiv is working on obtaining four additional Patriot batteries from allies.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that two Patriot systems are needed to protect Kharkiv.