Dutch PM pledges to supply Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.

During a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Jan. 17, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the Netherlands would join the U.S. and Germany in sending Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine.

“I think that it’s important we join that, and I discussed it also this morning with Olaf Scholz of Germany,” Rutte said, as quoted by Reuters.

Patriot systems are the most advanced air defense weapon in the U.S. arsenal that Kyiv has been long pleading for.

The U.S. announced it would supply Patriots to Ukraine at the end of December, ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington, D.C. 

Germany also committed a Patriot battery in early January.

The systems aim to significantly improve the defense of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure against regular Russian missile attacks.

Rutte’s announcement comes ahead of the Ramstein defense summit on Jan. 20, where Western allies are expected to announce additional military aid for Ukraine.

Ramstein summits are held to coordinate efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine. 

They were named after Germany’s Ramstain Air Base, where the first summit was held in April 2022.