Netherlands teams up with another country to supply Ukraine with Patriot missile system

The Netherlands and another country are going to supply Ukraine with a Patriot system. Outgoing Defense minister Kajsa Ollongren announced on Friday that they succeeded in collecting parts that can then form a complete system.

She would not reveal the other country helping supply the system. She thinks the country involved should announce that. She had been working on accomplishing this for some time.

Patriot systems are important weapons that can shoot enemy rockets out of the sky. Ollongren stated that air defense is crucial to Ukraine, which has been able to resist many Russian attacks in this way.

She thinks it is "very good news" that Romania announced they would supply a Patriot system this week. The minister also added that the United States is also working on helping the Ukrainian war effort more. Last week, at talks in Brussels, another inventory was drawn up to help Ukraine with its air defense systems. The minister said, "All the pieces of the puzzle" were on the table.

In the past, the Netherlands has provided essential components for the Patriot system, like rockets and launchers. Ukraine has said that they need another seven Patriot systems. Germany has also pledged to supply more systems.

This does not bring the number of Patriot systems to seven, but Ollongren thinks every extension is welcome "because the Russians are continuing and even intensifying the air strikes." She would not share when the Patriot system is going to Ukraine because she did not want to give the Russian military any information.