Romanian president signs decree on donating Patriot to Ukraine
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Sept. 5 signed a decree regarding the transfer of a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, giving final approval to the donation.
The Romanian government is now expected to issue an order for the system's delivery.
"Thank you for the Patriot," said Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in response to the news.
The move came days after former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged foreign partners not to delay and provide Kyiv with the promised Patriots.
The highly advanced Patriot systems have played a crucial role in protecting the Ukrainian sky. They are capable of downing even the most advanced ballistic missiles, such as Kinzhals.
Ukraine has received at least three Patriot systems from Germany and one from the U.S. Other countries, like the Netherlands and Spain, delivered individual launchers or missiles.
The U.S. and the Netherlands also pledged in June to deliver one additional system each, but no announcement on their arrival has been made so far.
Hesitant at first, Bucharest decided to donate one of its Patriots in June. Iohannis said that the transfer of the Patriot system to Kyiv must not compromise Romania's air defense capabilities.
The document approved by the Romanian parliament states that replacing the Patriot system should not cost more than Romania originally paid for the unit. The costs are expected to be covered by "non-refundable foreign sources."
Isaac C. Flanagan
