Merz urges Trump for additional Patriot missiles for Kiev
(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on US President Donald Trump to support the EU’s efforts by supplying additional missile defense systems to Ukraine, including more Patriot missile batteries. Since taking office, Trump’s administration has been hesitant to approve new aid packages for Ukraine, with shipments of certain air defense missiles and precision munitions temporarily paused by the Pentagon earlier this month but recently resumed.
At a conference in Rome, Merz emphasized that he is in “close contact” with the US government and Trump on the issue. He said Berlin is prepared to purchase Patriot systems from the US to help arm Ukraine, noting that while the US requires some for its own use, there are still plenty available. Defense ministers are currently negotiating potential deliveries, though no final decision has been made.
Russia argues that foreign arms shipments only escalate the violence without changing the overall outcome of the conflict.
Trump has expressed concerns about the cost of Patriot systems, which are valued at roughly $1 billion per battery, and mentioned that Ukraine’s request for another unit is still under review. He described the missile system as “very rare” and “very expensive,” and suggested that the US cannot produce the missiles in the quantities Ukraine desires.
In response to Merz’s push, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the German Chancellor has clearly chosen a military approach, believing diplomatic solutions to the Ukraine conflict are exhausted. Lavrov accused Merz of prioritizing Germany’s militarization at the expense of its citizens, highlighting Merz’s ambition to make Germany Europe’s leading military power.
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