EU foreign policy chief urges countries to give Ukraine interceptor missiles nearing expiry

Tetyana Vysotska, VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - 1 September, 11:17

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Photo: Getty Images

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said that EU countries should provide Ukraine with the interceptor missiles it needs, including those nearing the end of their shelf life.

Source: Kallas before an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kallas said EU countries should give Ukraine interceptor missiles that are nearing the end of their shelf life.

"July and August have been the deadliest months for the civilians in Ukraine. Russia is really escalating to hurt the people of Ukraine as much as possible to break them. The Ukrainians, of course, are standing strong, and we have to support them. The main issue is air defence," Kallas said.

She stressed that Ukraine lacks interceptor missiles.

"We know that some of the countries have interceptors that will expire soon. So, it would be very good if those would be given to Ukraine so that they can use them to protect their people," the EU foreign policy chief said.

Kallas said they were also "doing the outreach for countries outside the European Union to get the interceptors to protect the civilians".

"But of course, it is very hard," she acknowledged.

"And, at the same time, there is also work going on to put together the European interceptors – together with Ukraine," Kallas added.

Background:

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said European leaders were considering holding another meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in the US on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September to raise the issue of supplying Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen previously said that the Netherlands, which operates Patriot air defence systems and therefore has interceptor missiles for them, had given Ukraine everything it could from its own stocks.
It was also reported that US forces stationed in Europe had been left with a "beyond critical shortage" of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems, with the war against Iran cited as a significant factor.

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