Poland requests Germany to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine

In response to Russia’s major missile strike on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure on November 23, Poland has requested that Germany transfer the Patriot missile systems provided to Ukraine rather than Poland.

Foto: PAP/DPA

Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak posted on Twitter, “After more Russian missile attacks, I asked Germany to move the Patriot batteries promised to Poland to Ukraine and to place them on its western border.”

“This is a good proposal for the protection of the borderland between Poland and Ukraine, we do everything to ensure maximum security in this part of Poland”, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said about the Polish side’s proposal to transfer German Patriot launchers to Ukraine. “We would like this space to be protected as much as possible,” he added.

Morawiecki: “Patriots would protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles”

“Poland’s eastern border and Ukraine’s western border, and we know after the recent tragic incident in Przewodow that this is the same area, the same space”, the prime minister said. “We would like this space to be protected as best as possible, so that the bombs and missiles that fall on Kyiv, on Lviv, on Ivano-Frankivsk, on Kovel, on Rivne, on Lutsk, on all these cities, so that they are protected; from there, waves of refugees flee to Poland, and we are afraid, we are afraid of such another big wave,” the head of government stressed.

Kaczynski: It’s better for Poland’s security if Germany gives Patriot to Ukraine

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of Poland’s ruling PiS party, agreed. He stated that it would be better for Poland’s security if Germany offered Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine rather than Poland in an interview with Polskieradio24.

“The proposal is interesting. I would like to note that I am expressing my personal opinion here, but I believe that it would be best for the security of Poland if the Germans handed over this equipment to the Ukrainians, trained Ukrainian crews, with the condition that the batteries would be deployed in western Ukraine”. The ability to shoot down enemy missiles would then be possible—possibly more effectively than with the S-300, according to Kaczynski.

On the other hand, he asserted, it would shield Poland from incidents like the one that occurred in Przewodów on November 15 when a Russian missile attack on Ukraine resulted in a missile falling on a Polish village and killing two people.

“At the same time, it would also be a protection for us if the Russians decided to attack. I would consider such a decision optimal and showing that the Germans are making a real change of attitude, not a certain act of propaganda,” Kaczynski added.

After a missile struck Polish territory on November 21, Germany made the Raytheon system available to the neighboring nation. Defense Minister Blaszczak welcomed the choice and offered to send it to the Polish-Ukrainian border.