“We cannot give Patriot to Ukraine” – Romanian Defense Minister
In Romania, a scandal continues around the refusal of the country's Defense Minister Angela Tylvera to comply with the Pentagon's demand and transfer the Patriot system to Kyiv. On Tuesday, Tulvar again clarified his position: these systems are necessary for Romania itself.
During a government meeting in Brasov, Tilvar emphasized that no official request for the donation of these defense systems had been received, and confirmed their importance to Romania's national security, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Nobody said we had to hand over these systems. They [Ukrainians] demand these installations, given the situation there. We have one such equipment and three more are in the process of being commissioned. In the meantime, our needs are satisfied by this installation. We will have other discussions. There are no problems at the moment,” said Angel Tylvar.
The Minister of Defense explained that Romania has four Patriot systems, of which only one is currently operational, while the other three are being developed. These systems were acquired to meet the defense needs of the country, and the first operational system is indispensable for the defense of national territory.
“We received them, four installations, of which one is in working order, and the rest are in the process of being commissioned, and three more are pending, we took them specifically for the needs of Romania to protect its national territory, that’s why we need them, and from this point of view, this operating system is indispensable,” Tõlvär emphasized.
"We can't give the Patriot to Ukraine," says Romanian Defense Minister.