Germany’s defense minister dismissed a surprise request from Poland to station surface-to-air Patriot missiles in western Ukraine, saying such a deployment would have to be agreed to by NATO.
The request, disclosed late on Wednesday in a post on Twitter by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, came just days after the countries struck an air defense deal that would see German Patriot missiles and fighter jets deployed to Poland. It followed a strike that raised fears of a significant escalation between NATO allies and Russia.
“These are Patriot systems that are part of integrated NATO air-defense planning. That’s why it was possible to make this offer to Poland,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told reporters in Berlin Thursday after talks with her Estonian counterpart. “Any proposal that deviates from that must now be discussed with NATO and with our allies.”
