German Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht on Thursday refused Poland’s request to send the Patriot anti-aircraft surface-to-air-missiles to Ukraine, saying they are “intended” only for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members.
Berlin offered the missiles to Warsaw after a missile strike at a grain silo near the Polish-Ukrainian border killed two farm workers last week. As recently as Monday, Poland welcomed the offer, saying that it would deploy them at its eastern border with Ukraine.
Christine Lambrecht says the MIM-104 Patriot is part of NATO's Integrated Air Defense, meaning they are designed to be deployed on NATO territory.
— Svidomi (@Svidomi_En) November 25, 2022
At the same time, using systems outside of NATO will require prior discussion with the Alliance and the allies.
However, on Wednesday, Polish Minister of Defence Mariusz Blaszczak asked Germany to transfer the Patriot batteries it had offered to Warsaw to Kyiv instead, claiming that “this will protect Ukraine from further deaths and blackouts and will increase security at our eastern border.”
Lambrecht, however, emphasised that Patriots are “part of an integrated air defence of NATO, that is, they are intended for NATO territory.”
“If they are used outside the NATO area, then it has to be agreed with NATO and with the allies beforehand,” she stressed.
Following the missile strike, the German minister asserted that “It is important to us that Poland can rely on allies to stand by each other, even in difficult times, and especially Poland in its exposed position. That’s why we have offered to support air policing and Patriots.”
Po kolejnych atakach rakietowych 🇷🇺,zwróciłem się do strony 🇩🇪, aby proponowane 🇵🇱 baterie Patriot zostały przekazane na 🇺🇦 i rozstawione przy zachodniej granicy. To pozwoli uchronić 🇺🇦 przed kolejnymi ofiarami i blackoutem i zwiększy bezpieczeństwo przy naszej wschodniej granicy
— Mariusz Błaszczak (@mblaszczak) November 23, 2022
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, too, agreed with Lambrecht, calling for unity among NATO members, arguing that “Russia wants to divide us.” He told DW that NATO members must reach a solution together.
Germany has deployed two of its 12 Patriot batteries to Slovakia. It has also allocated about $2.6 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including Iris-T air defence systems, five multiple rocket launchers MARS II with ammunition, anti-drone sensors and jammers.
In Poland, critics called the Polish proposal “shocking” and an “unforgivable mistake” that threatens national security. They pointed out that sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine would require German troops to operate them in Ukraine, and “that, in turn, would involve NATO in a direct clash with Russia, something the alliance has been trying to avoid from the beginning.”
#NATO chief Stoltenberg welcomes Germany's initiative to provide Poland with a Patriot anti-missile system. However, Warsaw has now asked that this system be stationed in Ukraine instead.
— Teri Schultz (@terischultz) November 25, 2022
Stoltenberg says this would be a "national decision" for Germany. pic.twitter.com/k8QWSgGs8b
Polish President Andrzej Duda’s chief of staff, Pawel Szrot, revealed that he was not consulted on the decision and that any such call would need Duda’s approval, as he is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. He also said that Blaszczak would have to convince Duda in case he had a “different” idea but reiterated that no such discussions had happened.
Blaszczak had earlier stated that he would accept Germany’s offer with “satisfaction.” But in an interview with state-owned news agency PAP on Wednesday, Law and Justice Party (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski acknowledged though the offer is “interesting,” “it would be best for Poland’s security if Germany handed the equipment to the Ukrainians.” Later that day, Blaszczak and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reiterated Kaczynski’s demand.
Experts believe that with inflation at 18% ahead of elections next year, stirring up anti-German feelings is a tried-and-tested strategy to win votes. In fact, on the 83rd anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland during World War Two in September, Kaczynski demanded $1.3 trillion in reparations from Germany. However, Berlin has denied the request, saying that the “reparations question is closed.”
Germany offered Poland Eurofighter planes and Patriot Defence systems after last week's missile strikes
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) November 24, 2022
The head of Poland's Law and Justice Party Jaroslaw Kaczynski now wants this equipment to be placed in western Ukraine to fend off Russian infrastructure strikes
Kaczynski has also blamed Germany for withholding European Union (EU) funds from Poland over the rule-of-law debate on the independence of the country’s judiciary. In fact, opposition Civic Platform party leader Marcin Kierwinski said Kaczynski “has gone mad” for “rejecting” the Patriot missiles and EU funding “during war and crisis.”
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland has been a staunch critic of Germany for not supplying enough lethal weaponry to Kyiv.
In fact, as the world’s fifth-largest exporter of arms and ammunition, Germany has been criticised by various countries across Europe, including Ukraine, for its reluctance to expand military support to Ukraine. It locally produces the Leopold battle tank and has a large stockpile of Marder fighting vehicles. However, it has resisted pressure from the West and requests from Ukraine for tanks over fears that Russia could interpret it as a declaration of war.
During the early stages of the war, it was also heavily reluctant to back proposals within the European Union to embargo Russian oil, though it ultimately performed a U-turn on this policy.
Meanwhile, the Polish authorities ask #Germany not to provide them with these systems, but to send them to #Ukraine immediately. Even the Poles understand that we need them more than they do. Why does the West not understand this?
— Inna Sovsun (@InnaSovsun) November 24, 2022
Scholz has also drawn criticism for his regular conversations with Putin, and has spoken to the Russian leader at least 11 times since the war began. He has previously said that continuing a conversation with Russia is “absolutely necessary” to end the war by finding a “common approach.
Berlin has also somewhat relaxed its position on weaponry and has begun sending lighter military equipment such as grenades and anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. It has also delivered heavier weapons such as the howitzer and anti-aircraft tanks. However, Scholz previously said that Germany does not want to do “solo runs” and would not deliver heavy tanks until other allies did the same.