On June 20, Romania will decide whether to send the Patriot system to Ukraine. The country's Ministry of Defence claims that now is "not the best time" for this .
Points of attention
- The issue of the transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine gives rise to complex discussions between the political and military leaders of Romania.
- Romania's air defense should remain effective after the possible transfer of the Patriot system to Ukraine.
- The Minister of Defense of Romania considers the Patriot system indispensable for the national territory, which complicates the decision to transfer it to Ukraine.
- Considering the transfer of the Patriot system to Ukraine is a strategic decision with pros and cons for Romania's defense policy.
Will Romania send a Patriot system to Ukraine?
As noted, the Supreme Council of National Defence must decide whether to transfer the Patriot system to Ukraine, although a report by the country's Ministry of Defense claims that now is not the best time for this.
According to the media, the president of the country, Klaus Iohannis, received such a report from the Ministry of Defence of Romania.
At the same time, the document does not completely reject this proposal since the final decision remains with the Security Council, headed by Johannis.
The council meeting is expected to involve complex discussions between political and military leaders. According to sources, the council may approve the provision of the system if it can guarantee that Romania's air defenses will not be affected.
The conclusion of the report is not unexpected, given that Defense Minister Angel Tylvar has repeatedly opposed the deployment of this system in Ukraine, as he considers the Patriot "indispensable for the defense of the national territory," the publication notes.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also issued a warning, saying Romania currently does not have enough Patriot systems.
However, he admitted that "placing the system in Ukraine could potentially benefit the defense of Romania," although it remains "a strategic decision that has both pros and cons."
What preceded it
Romania has been talking about transferring its Patriot system to Ukraine for a long time.
It is worth recalling that at the end of May, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that the decision on the transfer of the Patriot system should be made by the Supreme Council of National Defence. At the same time, he emphasised that the transfer of the system to Ukraine should not weaken Romania's air defence.
The Prime Minister of the country, Marcela Cholaku, said that the Minister of Defence of Romania was against such a move.
Later, he reported that, despite this, the country's authorities are still considering the possibility of transferring SAMs, because this system could also cover Romanian territory.
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