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Germany’s chancellor and defence minister have said an offer to provide Poland with US-made Patriot air-defence systems is still on the table.
The statement came from Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday and was reiterated in an interview for Tuesday’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper by Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht.
Germany offered the Patriots to Poland after a stray missile killed two Poles near the Ukrainian borders on November 15. Poland’s government has said, however, they would rather the Patriots be sent to Ukraine.
“Poland is especially exposed – this became clear during the tragic missile attack with two fatalities,” Lambercht told FAZ. “Support for Poland as a good neighbour and close ally in these difficult times has been and is important to me, hence that offer – supervision and air defence with Eurofighters and Patriots.
“The offer is: stationing German Patriots with German crews on Polish soil,” Lambrecht explained. “That is the offer.”
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