The European Union announced on Tuesday that it has agreed for Ukraine to purchase interceptor missiles for the American Patriot anti-aircraft systems using 3.2 billion euros from the 90 billion euro European financial assistance program.
This financial assistance program consists of a loan from which Ukraine receives in tranches until the end of next year 60 billion euros for military purchases and 30 billion euros to cover the budget deficit. Kiev will have to repay the loan only if Russia will pay it “war reparations”, otherwise it will be paid by the EU states that have agreed to guarantee it, the only ones who refused being Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The tranches already paid to Ukraine from this program amount to 8.4 billion euros so far. One of the conditions attached to the loan is to give priority to equipment manufactured in the EU.
A European anti-aircraft system comparable to the American Patriot system is the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system, but its availability is limited. Therefore, EU states have agreed to a waiver of the loan conditions, so that Ukraine can purchase Patriot interceptors with these funds.
“Greet the agreement of the member states regarding the exemption granted to Ukraine to purchase crucial equipment for the Patriot air defense systems,” stated the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Outside, Kiev will be able to use the next tranche of the European loan, worth 3.2 billion euros, “to better protect its airspace against indiscriminate Russian attacks,” added Von der Leyen, according to AFP, quoted by Agerpres.
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