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After the United States and Germany, now it is the turn of the Netherlands to promise to send a Patriot missile system to Ukraine to fight against the Russian invasion. Photo/REUTERS/Richard Chung
WASHINGTON – Dutch Prime Minister (PM) Mark Rutte promised to send Patriot missile system the Ukraine to fight the invasion Russia . Similar promises have previously been made by the United States (US) and Germany.
PM Rutte said the Netherlands had the intention to follow the US and Germany in delivering missile defense systems to Kiev. Rutte conveyed this in remarks with US President Joe Biden in Washington.
“I think it’s important for us to join in and I also discussed it this morning with (Chancellor) Olaf Scholz of Germany,” Rutte said, as quoted by Bloomberg, Wednesday (18/1/2023).
Also read: Ignoring Russian Warnings, US Announces Deliveries of Patriot Missile Systems to Ukraine
The US and Germany have in recent weeks each pledged to send in the Patriot defense system, a weapon invaluable because it can not only shoot down enemy missiles but also has high-tech sensors that help identify what is in the air.
The Kremlin, in response, said it would target the Patriot air defense system the US had promised.
Ukraine’s partners are under pressure to deliver more air defense systems after a Russian missile hit an apartment block east of the Dnipro city on Saturday, killing at least 45 people, including six children.
Russia has been targeting critical infrastructure since mid-September, leaving millions of citizens without electricity, water and heating amid freezing temperatures.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it was unable to shoot down the Russian missile that hit the Dnipro apartment block because it lacked the necessary equipment. According to them, the Patriot missile system can definitely do it.
It will still be several months before the Patriot missile system is actually deployed in Ukraine, especially given the need to train Kiev forces to operate it.
