Fix it, destroy it, fix it again. this Ukrainian government fear that this is the imposed cycle Following the commitment of Western countries, especially the United States, to help revive the Ukrainian electricity system, which has been damaged by constant Russian attacks. and it asks Equipped with Patriot missile systems. But the USA and Germany refuse for now. Others, like Poland, consider it best to create an air shield that will not only prevent Ukrainian civilians from suffering, but also events such as those that took place on Polish soil a few weeks ago.
Patriot (MIM-104) is one of the most advanced surface-to-air anti-missile systems. They are produced by the American company Raytheon. They have a long range: up to 70 kilometers.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Exclude sending these anti-aircraft systems for now. But after meeting with NATO counterparts in Romania, he assured that a plan was in place to protect damaged generators, transformers and other elements of the electrical grid, but did not specify which.
The usual argument for not sending advanced weapons to NATO standards is this: First, It can be seen by Russia as an escalation in the war, Something the West wants to avoid. On the other hand, these complex systems need training, spare parts and complex repairs.
But this also applies to the HAWK anti-aircraft systems and the Aspide shuttles, which have already been sent by Spain, among other countries. The Spanish government even trains Ukrainian soldiers. So why don’t they ship Patriot batteries? Despite persistent questions from journalists in Bucharest, Blinken did not give a clear answer. It recognized that it was necessary to send supplies to secure and maintain the electricity supply. “They are two sides of the same coin”.
But don’t send military aid to Ukraine He says it’s an ongoing, fluid work that needs to be adapted to the needs of the field every day.and those who prepare the most appropriate strategy are the planners. “We make changes and repairs of electrical infrastructures and act quickly and in coordination. [con Kiev]”But we don’t just want to send them defense systems, we want to make sure they can use them, and that requires training and maintenance.”
These arguments were not bought by Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says they are ready to put the Patriots to work. He insists they are needed to protect civilian lives and infrastructure after heavy air strikes by Russia in recent weeks. Queues formed to get water, and areas were seen plunged into pitch darkness at night. An important part of the electrical system is damaged and something similar happens with heating.
Kuleba denies that Russia sees this as an escalation of the conflict. After all, they are nothing more than “purely defensive systems”, pointing to Germany: It will continue to talk to Berlin, which offered them protection to Poland, a NATO country, after the incident two weeks ago. From the battlefield in Ukraine, missiles landed on Polish territory, possibly by accident, killing two people. Warsaw demanded that the missiles be sent directly to Kiev. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak insisted today: Placing the Patriot anti-missile system to the west Ukrainian border is the best way to protect Polish and Ukrainian territory. is the way.
But Germany does not move from the first offer“Our proposal to the Polish government to defend its own country has not been taken off the agenda,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin this Wednesday. said.
Ukraine took the opportunity to squeeze Berlin. According to Kuleba, the transfer of these systems should not be a problem if “Germany is willing to supply Patriots to Poland, and Poland has nothing against delivering them to Ukraine.”
Olaf Scholz’s government has always been reluctant to deploy German-made materials on Ukrainian soil or to ship heavy weapons. It happened with the Leopard tanks that Ukraine asked Spainand now it’s happening in Patriots.
“The Allies have sent generators and necessary parts to repair the damaged network,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He did not completely refuse to send the patriots and conveyed the decision to Germany.
Meanwhile, Ukraine took advantage of the meeting of NATO ministers and interested countries in Bucharest, reminding them that they still have urgent needs. “hundreds of transformers” and “thousands of generators”. He thanks its allies, like Spain, who have promised to send such electrical equipment that Ukraine needs to restore electricity supply on its territory.
Washington emphasizes that from the very first day of the war, even before, they put into the hands of Ukraine the weapons they need to defend themselves against aggression. “We gave [misiles] Stingers and Javelins and every week since then we’ve been adjusting to events.”