Romania’s government approves bill to transfer Patriot system to Ukraine

On Monday, September 2, the Romanian government approved a bill allowing the donation of a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine and sent the document to the parliament for a final vote.

That’s according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Bucharest said in June that it would donated one of its two operational Patriot systems to Ukraine on condition that allies replace it with a similar air defense system.

As noted, it is part of a delivery of five such systems and other strategic air defense units pledged by NATO states to Kyiv.

"After parliament approves the law, the government will be able to issue the decision that makes the donation operational," Romanian government spokesman Mihai Constantin said.

Romania signed a $4 billion deal to buy Patriots in 2017, its biggest procurement contract to date. The first shipment was delivered in 2020. Romania has received four systems so far, with two operational.

Romania, a NATO member since 2004, shares a 650-km border with Ukraine and has had Russian drone fragments stray into its territory repeatedly as Moscow attacks Ukrainian ports just across the Danube River border.

As Ukrinform reported, in July, the Presidents of Ukraine and Romania, Volodymyr Zelensky and Klaus Iohannis, signed an agreement on security cooperation between the countries, which provides, among other things, that Romania will send a Patriot system to Ukraine.

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