Ukraine and Lithuania’s Ministers Criticize EU for Delay in Patriot Systems Delivery

Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, noted that some Patriot air-defense systems promised to Ukraine are being delayed, and called on partners to speed up this process. Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, supported Kuleba’s statement.

Kuleba announced the delay in a conversation with the journalists before the informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Brussels.

The Minister noted that "good progress has been made" since April when Ukraine asked for additional Patriots, but some systems have still not been delivered.

“I call on all the countries that promised Patriots months ago to finally deliver them. They are there, they are ready, only the final "green light" is missing. Whatever the reasons, it's time to do it. We are entering autumn. And on Monday, we saw how Russia will act," Kuleba stressed.

 Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said that many countries of the European Union do not fulfill their obligations regarding the timely provision of promised weapons to Ukraine, and this complicates the situation at the front.

He stated that prior to the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Brussels. 

Landsbergis emphasized that the EU countries should ask themselves whether they played a role in Russia's brutal attacks on civilian objects in Ukraine.

He emphasized that Kyiv has not yet received any of the Patriot air defense systems promised to Ukraine, and since June, it has not received a single package of ammunition from the EU countries.

“We have to ask ourselves the question, are not we ourselves a part of this problem?” Landsbergis said.

On the morning of August 26, Russian forces attacked 15 regions across Ukraine using various types of weaponry. The overall situation in Ukraine’s energy sector remains challenging following the missile strikes.