Trump’s promised Patriots for Ukraine delayed until at least spring 2026 - Spiegel
Photo: Patriot missiles will not arrive until spring 2026 (Getty Images)
The Patriot defense systems mentioned by US President Donald Trump will not arrive in Ukraine before spring 2026, Spiegel reports.
As it turns out, rapid delivery of life-saving equipment to Ukraine is a difficult task, even after Trump announced last week in the Oval Office, in the presence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that he would send an arsenal of weapons to Ukraine, including the Patriot missiles that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy desperately needs.
"It's not hopeless," said German Defense Minister Pistorius.
The condition for the transfer of weapons is that the countries that have such weapons are ready to give them away now, so that others can pay for them and they get to Ukraine.
As it turned out, the United States believes that European allies should give up systems from their military stockpiles and then receive replacements when the American manufacturer RTX Corporation moves them forward in the delivery queue.
The problem is that, according to government circles, the first system will be available no earlier than eight months later, in the spring of 2026.
Only then will Germany be able to receive the battery, which was originally supposed to be sent to Switzerland.
Moreover, according to the agency, all other partners will require even more time for delivery.
Patriot for Ukraine
Recently, US President Donald Trump announced the transfer of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine at the expense of NATO allies. He said that Kyiv would receive 17 systems.
Moreover, at a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format, the participants promised Kyiv assistance in strengthening its air defense.
The German Defense Minister said that his country is ready to transfer two Patriot systems. However, he immediately warned that this is only possible if they are replaced quickly.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans also announced that his country is ready to make a significant contribution to the transfer of American systems to Ukraine.
And yesterday, on July 22, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin and Norway would make an important contribution.
