Lithuania allocates €30 million to fund US Patriots for Ukraine's defense
Photo: Lithuanian Minister of Defense Dovilė Šakalienė (facebook.com/dovile.sakaliene)
Lithuania announced plans to join the purchase of American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. The country intends to allocate up to €30 million, LRT informs.
During a visit of Baltic defense ministers to the US, Lithuanian Minister of Defense Dovilė Šakalienė said the country plans to contribute to the purchase of US-made long-range Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine.
She added that Lithuania was ready to contribute to acquiring US-produced Patriots for Ukraine. She also noted that, as the only NATO defense minister sanctioned by China, she fully understood what was at stake.
Following a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Šakalienė stated that Lithuania plans to allocate up to 30 million euros to achieve this goal.
Patriots for Ukraine
Recently, US President Donald Trump announced the transfer of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine with NATO support. He assured that Kyiv would receive 17 such systems.
At a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format, allies confirmed their readiness to help strengthen Ukraine's air defense.
The German Defense Minister announced plans to transfer two Patriot systems but emphasized the need for their rapid replacement. The Dutch Defense Minister also confirmed a significant contribution to delivering these systems.
Additionally, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Berlin, along with Norway, will make a significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air defense.
At the same time, on July 23, reports appeared stating that the Patriot system deliveries mentioned by the US president are expected no earlier than spring 2026.
However, it turned out that Ukraine had already received a new Patriot system earlier this week. Its delivery was previously discussed with representatives of the German government.
