(Brussels) NATO countries have only found two anti-aircraft defense systems, of the Patriot or Samp-T type, to give to Ukraine, which has nevertheless been asking for them for months, several of them admitted on Thursday. them.

“I have no announcement to make on Patriot batteries today (Thursday),” admitted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels with his NATO counterparts .

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call on the West to deliver new anti-aircraft defense systems as quickly as possible. The incessant Russian strikes have caused dozens of civilian casualties and brought the country’s energy infrastructure to its knees.

“Modern air defense systems can provide maximum protection of people, our cities and positions. We need them as much as possible,” Zelensky said at the time.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had nevertheless demanded from his allies, at the beginning of April, that they send them at least seven Patriot batteries, sophisticated American-made surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at high speed. speed.  

But only Germany responded to the call, promising to send a third Patriot battery in mid-April, after having already sent two.

“So we no longer have any margin to provide more, beyond three. It is now up to others to provide these systems,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.

Since then, the Netherlands has been working to assemble a “puzzle” of different pieces from several NATO countries, to constitute a complete battery for the benefit of Ukraine.

“We call it the Patriot puzzle, which means that other countries are seeing what they can do,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren explained.  

Italy also promised to send a battery of Samp-T, an Italian-French-made air defense system. Several NATO countries, including the United States, Spain, Poland and Greece, have Patriot or Samp-T batteries. But they say they need it to protect their territories.

“There will be no change in our coverage of Patriot systems in Poland,” said Mr. Austin.