(MENAFN) Germany has rejected Poland's request to supply to Ukraine MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems manufactured in the United States.
The denial came after Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak demanded that the armaments Berlin had promised Warsaw to be sent to Kiev and stationed near the Ukrainian-Polish border in the country's west.
“These Patriots are part of NATO’s integrated air defense, meaning they are intended to be deployed on NATO territory,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht stated on Thursday.
“Any use outside NATO territory would require prior discussions with NATO and the allies,” she asserted.
Germany pledged to strengthen Poland's defenses after a missile landed in the country's east last week, killing two people. Initially, Ukrainian officials and several Western media outlets believed that it was fired by Russia. However, Polish President Andrzej Duda subsequently stated that it was most likely fired by Ukraine's air defense forces and deviated off course in an attempt to counter a Russian strike.
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