"Nice and quiet diplomacy didn’t work," - Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister, told The Washington Post.

Mr. Kuleba said his team has identified more than 100 available Patriots — some neighboring countries have more than one battery guarding a port or airfield, he said. President Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs 26 to create a total air shield over Ukraine, but Dmytro Kuleba is initially focused on obtaining seven as quickly as possible.

That would cover Ukraine’s largest cities and leave at least one free to be closer to the battlefield, where Russian aviation has been punishing Ukraine’s troops on the ground using guided bombs.

Kyiv received its first Patriot batteries last summer, but the three it has now are not sufficient to defend the entire country against Russia’s increased aerial bombardment.

During a recent meeting in Brussels marking NATO’s 75th anniversary, Kuleba harshly told those in attendance: “I’m sorry to spoil the birthday party, but who can believe that the mightiest military alliance in the world cannot find seven batteries of Patriots to provide them to the only country in the world that is fighting ballistic attacks every day?”

Kuleba said that he is confident Ukraine will eventually receive more Patriot systems but that delays cost Ukrainian lives.

Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/10/ukraine-dmytro-kuleba-patriot-systems/

@Ukrainejournal