NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that most of the seven Patriot air defence systems that the allies promised Ukraine at the Washington summit have been delivered or will arrive soon.

Source : Rutte in an interview with the We Ukraine TV channel  

Details : Rutte noted that the process of handing over the weapons is not always fast. However, NATO member states usually keep their commitments.

He pointed out that, as a rule, there was not much delay between the provision of assistance and its actual delivery. Rutte cited the commitments made at the NATO summit in Washington in June 2024, where seven Patriot systems were pledged to Ukraine. Although it had taken some time, he noted that most of them had been delivered or were expected to arrive shortly.

Rutte emphasised that Ukraine needed more air defence systems, as each additional system saves lives.

The NATO chief stated that Ukraine needed more air defence systems, noting that each launcher meant lives saved. He recalled the recent tragedy in Sumy, where over 30 people had been killed by Russian missiles, as further proof of how critically important it was to have such systems in place.

He also said that NATO is actively coordinating efforts with both member states and partner countries, including Switzerland, Bosnia, Argentina and Georgia.

Meanwhile, Rutte noted that he refrains from publicly criticising allies over the pace of aid delivery, preferring to address such issues in a closed dialogue format.

He emphasised that speaking too openly could be counterproductive, as it might be seen as criticism of an ally or a non-NATO country for being too slow. Rutte explained that if he thought someone was acting too slowly, he would discuss it privately over the phone rather than publicly, since doing so in front of the cameras would not be the right approach.

Background :

• During a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa on 15 April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call that Ukraine should receive Patriot air defence systems, stressing that this depended on the political will of the allies. He noted that Ukraine is ready to take "any steps" to strengthen its air defence.
• On 14 April, Zelenskyy indicated Kyiv's readiness to purchase ten Patriot air defence systems from the US for US$15 billion, adding that European partners were prepared to assist with financing.
• Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, commenting on Ukraine's proposal to purchase Patriot air defence systems to protect the sky, hinted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had "started a war".

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