German ambassador: New Patriot air defense system to arrive in Ukraine this winter
The previously promised Patriot air defense system will be delivered by Germany this winter, said Germany's Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Jaeger, in an interview with Ukrinform on Nov. 24.
The system was originally pledged by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Oct. 5, but he did not give a timeline for when it would be delivered.
Jaeger also discussed a variety of other subjects in the interview.
He mentioned that the flow of Ukrainian refugees to Germany has largely stopped, with around 800 Ukrainians arriving in Germany per month. In total, about 1 million Ukrainians are currently living in Germany, including some 200,000 children who go to German schools and learn the language.
Despite reports that aid for Ukrainians in Germany might decrease, Jaeger said that "people from Ukraine can count on the fact that they will continue to receive adequate support in Germany."
Amid concerns from Europe that increasingly Ukraine-skeptic parties are winning elections, such as in Slovakia and more recently in the Netherlands, Jaeger acknowledged that there is a segment of the electorate that is opposed to continued support for Ukraine.
However, he said that it totals perhaps a fifth of voters, compared to 80% who approve of Germany's commitment to Ukraine.
Germany is ready to support Ukraine until victory, he said, and also "wholeheartedly supports Ukraine's accession to the EU."
"I hope that my term of office will be enough not only to achieve victory, but also to really go with Ukraine a significant part of the way to Brussels," Jaeger added.
Elsa Court
