Ukrainian Foreign Minister discusses with Norwegian counterpart air defense delivery to Ukraine
Photo: Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Norway discuss air defense systems (screenshot)
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister met with his Norwegian counterpart Barth Eide. Following the talks, Kuleba said that the main topic was air defense systems, according to their joint press conference.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Norwegian anti-aircraft missile systems NASAMS have proven themselves well in Ukraine during the confrontation with Russian aggression.
"And we are grateful that the Norwegian government is making more efforts to ensure that Ukraine has more of these systems. But the Norwegian government also provides tools and opportunities to get Patriot systems from other countries, and we have also discussed this topic in detail today," Kuleba says.
At the same time, the Norwegian Foreign Minister noted that their country is currently discussing with other partners further opportunities to provide Ukraine with more Patriot systems.
Eide emphasizes air defense is very important to protect the economy, energy infrastructure, and population, and to maintain morale. Of course, it is not enough to win with air defense alone, but it is a very important component, he says.
Air defense systems for Ukraine
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine has been working to strengthen its air defense system. However, the need for air defense has become even more acute after the resumption of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
Germany promised to help Ukraine with the search for air defense. As Berlin stated, the German government will review its stockpiles and look for systems that could be sent to Ukraine. On April 13, Germany announced the transfer of an additional Patriot system to Ukraine.
However, Zelenskyy previously stated that 25 Patriot systems are needed to completely block Ukraine's skies from Russian drones and missiles.
According to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine has already found 100 free Patriot systems in the world but first wants to get 7 of them.
Ukraine's priority is not only Patriot but also Samp-T systems, which are also capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. As of today, Ukraine is negotiating to receive two Patriot batteries and one Samp-T battery.
