Romania is open to discuss sending a Patriot missile system to Ukraine, president says
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis recently said that he was open to discussing sending a Patriot missile system to Ukraine after meeting with US president Joe Biden in Washington on May 7.
Germany recently petitioned EU and NATO members to send such military equipment to Ukraine so it can repel Russian missile strikes. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also asked for more air defense capabilities.
“President Biden mentioned it in our meeting, and I said I was open to discussion. I must discuss it in the Supreme Defence Council to see what we can offer and what we can get in return because it is unacceptable to leave Romania without air defenses,” Iohannis said, cited by Euractiv.
Germany has pledged an additional Patriot battery, while Spain said it will deliver anti-aircraft Patriot missiles. Other European countries, including Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, also have Patriot systems.
Romania signed a USD 4 billion deal to get Patriots in 2017, the NATO and EU state’s biggest procurement contract to date, with the first shipment delivered in 2020. Although Romania only has one battery in operation, Iohannis said the discussions concerned another battery that is nearly operational. One Patriot system will remain in Romania, Iohannis said.
“Security is not just a strictly military issue but must be approached in a much broader sense because it affects the safety of our citizens and supports the democratic principles on which our societies are founded,” Iohannis said during the subsequent press conference.
Biden, in turn, thanked Romania for its commitment to security in NATO’s east, including in the Black Sea region, and applauded its defense investments, which exceed NATO’s target of spending at least 2% of GDP. “Back when I was a senator, 180 years ago, I fought very hard for Romania’s admission to NATO. And you — you’ve exceeded every expectation. [...] I want you to know the United States is committed to standing with you,” Biden said, according to the White House.
Romania, a NATO member since 2004, shares a 650-km border with Ukraine and has had Russian drone fragments stray into its territory repeatedly as Moscow attacks Ukrainian ports just across the Danube River from Romania.
Biden also praised Romania’s role in supporting Ukraine throughout the war and for its role in NATO. “I don’t think there’s any NATO partner who has a stronger commitment to the Euro-Atlantic alliance than Romania and the United States,” he said.
The Romanian and US presidents also talked about the Visa Waiver program. “We addressed Romania's admission to the Visa Waiver program, an essential aspect for all Romanian citizens. Our goal is to meet all the conditions for inclusion in this program, and we are confident this will happen in the not-too-distant future,” Iohannis added.
(Photo source: presidency.ro)
