Germany said on Friday that it was considering with partners Poland’s request for German Patriot air defence units to be delivered to Ukraine, following NATO’s chief’s suggestion that the military alliance might not oppose such a move.
‘We are discussing how to address Poland’s… request with our friends,’ a German government official told reporters in Berlin.
After a stray missile crashed and killed two people in Poland last week, Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot system to assist defend its airspace. Later, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak requested that Germany send the fire battalions to Ukraine instead.
According to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, such deployments should be made by individual nations while taking into account norms governing final users.
‘Specific decisions on specific systems are made at the country level,’ he told reporters in Brussels.
‘There are sometimes end user agreements and other things that need them to speak with other allies. But, at the end of the day, the decision must be made by national governments,’ he continued.
Stoltenberg’s remarks come after German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Thursday that sharing Germany’s Patriot units outside NATO territory would necessitate prior consultations with NATO and the allies.
Raytheon manufactures Patriots in the United States.
On Friday, Poland’s president said it was up to Germany to decide where its Patriot air defence batteries will be stationed, adding that it would be better for Poland’s security if they were stationed near the border in Ukraine.
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