EU's Kallas urges member states to hand Ukraine air-defence interceptors nearing expiry
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called on member states to give Ukraine air-defence interceptor missiles, including those nearing the end of their shelf life. She said air defence is the key issue after July and August became the deadliest months for Ukrainian civilians.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called on EU member states to transfer air-defence interceptor missiles to Ukraine, including stockpiles that are close to expiring. She made the remarks ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, according to Yevropeiska Pravda.
Kallas said July and August had become the deadliest months for Ukrainian civilians, as Russia escalates its strikes in an attempt to inflict maximum damage and break Ukrainian resistance. She said Ukrainians are holding firm and that Europe must keep supporting them, adding that air defence is now the central issue.
Interceptor shortage
The EU's top diplomat noted that Ukraine lacks sufficient air-defence interceptor missiles. She said some countries hold interceptors whose shelf life will soon run out, and it would be highly beneficial if these were handed over to Ukraine so it could use them to protect its people.
Kallas added that the EU is also reaching out to countries outside the bloc to obtain interceptor missiles for protecting civilians, though she acknowledged this is a very difficult process. She said work is simultaneously underway to jointly produce European-made interceptor missiles together with Ukraine.
Background
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said European leaders are considering holding another meeting of the "coalition of the willing" in the United States during the UN General Assembly in September, to raise the issue of supplying Ukraine with interceptors for its Patriot systems. The Dutch foreign minister previously said the Netherlands, which operates Patriot air-defence systems, has already given Ukraine everything it could from its own stockpiles. It has also been reported that US forces stationed in Europe are facing a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, a situation significantly worsened by the war against Iran.
