Austin calls European allies, seeking more Patriots for Kyiv – By Noah Robertson (Federal Times) / April 26, 2024
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he has been speaking with allies in Europe about how to send Ukraine more air defense systems.
He discussed the conversations in a Pentagon press conference Friday, referencing a series of one-on-one calls held this week. Pentagon readouts say Austin spoke with defense officials in Romania, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and Greece, among others.
“Going forward, we’ll be able to, hopefully work with a number of countries to put together additional Patriot capability” for Ukraine, Austin said.
His remarks came after the 21st meeting of a coalition the U.S. convened to support Kyiv’s self-defense. Friday marked the two-year anniversary of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, or UDCG, an occasion that prompted Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy to address the summit virtually.
