Ukraine to receive first Patriot missile systems under US-NATO deal

Ukraine is set to receive its first two Patriot air defense systems from Germany “in the coming days” as part of the deal the U.S. government struck with NATO last month. 

Germany said Friday it will back Ukraine with two U.S.-made Patriot launchers and fork over additional Patriot system components in the next “two to three” months, according to Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.  

As part of the agreement forged with the Defense Department (DOD), Germany will be the first country to receive the latest-generation Patriot system at an “accelerated pace.” Berlin is providing the funding. 

“The prerequisite was that the U.S. manufacturer would deliver new Patriot systems as quickly as possible in return so that we could continue to meet our NATO obligations. This commitment from the U.S. side has been made,” Pistorius said in a statement.

“Germany can therefore support Ukraine first with launchers and then with further Patriot system components,” the defense minister added. “Once again, Germany is by far the strongest supporter of Ukraine in air defense.” 

President Trump announced in mid-July that he brokered a deal to send more weapons to Ukraine without placing a major burden on U.S. military supplies. As part of the agreement with NATO, the weapons would be sourced from NATO allies in Europe. 

“We’re going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to NATO,” Trump said at the time. “NATO may choose to have certain of them sent to other countries where we can get a little additional speed, where the country will release something and be it’ll be mostly in the form of a replacement.” 

The Patriot system is one of the few weapons systems around the world that can blow up Russian ballistic missiles, a proven critical capability as Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine. 

Germany has sent three Patriot systems to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion kicked off in late February, 2022.