BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - In view of the delivery of the Patriot air defense system from Washington to Ukraine, the CSU has called on the German government to do the same as the United States. In the course of the Ukraine war, it was possible to determine that support with weapons helped Ukraine the most, CSU Secretary General Martin Huber said Thursday morning on RTL/ntv's "Frühstart" program. "And in this respect, of course, we also call on the German government to back up its words with deeds and to support Ukraine even more with weapons, including Patriot defense missiles."
At the same time, Huber reiterated the CSU's demand for a delivery of Leopard battle tanks to the country under attack by Russia. "Here, too, it is true that Ukraine must be supported, as I have just addressed."
On Wednesday, the U.S. government officially announced that it would supply Ukraine with the Patriot air defense system for the first time. It is part of a new $1.85 billion (about 1.7 billion euros) military aid package for Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said.
The package includes a Patriot battery and munitions, according to the Pentagon. The Patriot air defense system can defend against aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and missiles, even at greater distances. It is expected to make Russia's missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine more difficult.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) told Deutschlandfunk radio when asked whether Germany was also planning to deliver Patriots, that it was important to the German government to support its allies. This is being done by stationing German Patriots in the NATO country Slovakia, which handed over its air defense systems to Ukraine at a very early stage. The NATO partner Poland is now also being supported with Patriots. The German air defense system Iris-T has been handed over to Ukraine. Lambrecht added that another three such systems would be delivered next year./vee/DP/mis
