Romanian parliament supports transfer of Patriot system to Ukraine

Reuters reports.

The law must now be signed by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. After that, the government will issue an order to transfer the air defense system to Kyiv.

In June, Romania said that the state would transfer one of its two Patriots to Ukraine if the partners replace it with a similar air defense system.

Yesterday, on September 2, Digi24, citing government spokesman Mihai Constantin, reported that the Romanian government had approved a bill to transfer Patriot to Kyiv.

It is noted that the draft law was supported at a meeting on Monday, September 2. According to Constantin, the government will send it to parliament for adoption on an emergency basis.

“The executive branch has approved and will submit to the parliament, as an urgent matter, a draft law supplementing Law 222/2017 on ground air defense. In particular, the draft law stipulates that the Patriot air defense system is subject to acts of donation to third parties. After the law is adopted by the parliament, the government will be able to make a decision that will make the act of donation operational,” the spokesman said.

The Romanian Defense Ministry added that the state will supply one of the seven Patriot systems in the 3+ configuration sold by the United States. Four systems have arrived in Romania, two of which are already in operation.

The transfer of the system to Ukraine will be made possible by amendments to Law 222 of 2017: it allowed Romania to purchase 7 US Patriot systems for almost $4 billion.

• On August 30, the Romanian Ministry of Defense sent a bill to the parliament on the transfer of the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.