by Tyler Durden, ZeroHedge
NATO and European Union leaders are literally pressuring member states to sacrifice their own national defence for the sake of Ukraine, part of the ongoing saga of desperation which has led some Western nations to deplete domestic arms and ammo stockpiles.
A disturbing report by Financial Times published Monday says Greece and Spain are under intensifying pressure from Western allies to give up what few Patriot anti-air defence systems that they possess.
Russia has continued to decimate Ukraine’s energy, logistics, and communications infrastructure via superior airpower – and Kiev has had few options, limiting its response. President Putin has said the stepped-up air attacks are in direct retaliation to Ukraine’s own cross-border drone attacks on Russian oil facilities. Drones have also frequently been sent over Crimea.
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an urgent appeal Sunday on X, writing that “Patriots can only be called air defence systems if they work and save lives rather than standing immobile somewhere in storage bases.”
Commenting on Ukraine’s ongoing pleading, one Western official was cited in FT as saying, “We all know who has them, we all know where they are, and we all know who really needs them.”
Only Germany has so far answered the call by lately providing a single Patriot battery. FT reported on back-to-back meetings of EU foreign and defence ministers of the last days, where it’s been decided that Greece and Spain’s anti-air systems aren’t really crucial to their homeland defence:
Other EU leaders used a summit in Brussels last week to personally urge Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sánchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis to donate some of their systems to Ukraine, according to people briefed on the discussions.
The two leaders, whose armed forces possess between them more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as S-300s, were told their need was not as great as Ukraine’s and that they did not face any imminent threat.
An EU diplomat said, “There are countries that are not in immediate need of their air defence systems, to be very honest.” This as “Each country is being asked to decide what it can spare,” according to the statement. Countries like Poland or those in the Baltics and Eastern Europe are considered too vulnerable at this moment to be asked to give up their defences.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is also ramping up the pressure, saying “I don’t have Patriots in Brussels, they are in the capitals, and it is up to them to take decisions.”
So this is what it has come to: first European populations are dubiously told that Putin is eyeing expansion of the war deeper into Europe, and next Western countries are told to make drastic decisions which severely weaken their own national security.
Questioned about whether Spain might step up with Patriots, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that his country “will make its decisions based on the power it has in its hands to support Ukraine… “I don’t think we’re helping anyone if we hear all the time what it is that’s being given, when it’s being given and how it’s getting in,” he said at the meeting in Luxembourg.” – European nations with Patriot missiles hesitate to give the air defence systems to Ukraine
Greece in particular has faced long-running threats from Turkey, with the geopolitical rivals locked in a dispute over maritime territory which has at times very nearly resulted in a shooting war. This has happened on several occasions in the last couple of years. So certainly the Greek population is going to balk when EU leaders in faraway capitals lecture Greece about ‘not really needing’ anti-air protection. And if they are sent to Ukraine, there’s a chance they could be destroyed anyway.
Source: ZeroHedge – EU Leaders Trying to Convince Spain and Greece to ‘Sacrifice’ Their Own Anti-Air Defences for Ukraine
SEE ALSO:
Lockheed Martin eyes Patriot interceptor production in Spain – Lockheed Martin has forged a partnership with a Spanish firm for the production of interceptor missile parts for the Patriot air-defence system, a move that could help alleviate a bottleneck in manufacturing the sought-after systems. “Lockheed Martin has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Grupo Oesia to enable potential future production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement components in Spain,” the American company wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on April 22.
Ukrainian soldiers train in Spain to operate the Patriot air defence system before delivery – Ukrainian maintainers are training in Spain for the upkeep and operation of Patriot missile systems. Spain recently acquired its first American anti-air systems in October 2023, following the approval of a $2.6 billion sale by the Defense Cooperation Agency, the U.S. agency for international military cooperation and equipment export.
From 2022 – Spain Army to Continue Its Patriot Missile Defense Support to Turkey
Ezekiel 38 (extract)
Thus says the Lord God; behold I AM against you Gog the prince of Rosh (Russia) Meshech (Moscow) and Tubal (Tobolsk) – the Western and Eastern Capitols of the U.S.S.R. (now called the C.I.S.): I will turn you back (from seeking peace) and put hooks into your jaws (hunger), and I will bring you forth, with all your armed forces and Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah and ALL the earth with them against My people Israel (Britain and the British Commonwealth; America; Scandinavia; the Netherlands; the Baltic States; Northern France; Northern Spain and the Jews) to the lands of unwalled villages (walls of untempered mortar) without bars or gates (no defences because of defence cuts after the “so-called” peace dividend), when they (the politicians – foolish prophets) say peace, peace and there was NO peace.