According to President Joe Biden, the US pledges to replace Slovakia’s S-300 missile defense systems with one of its Patriot systems. Bratislava previously revealed it had “Donated” its only S-300 system to Kiev earlier on Friday.
“Thank you to the Slovakian government, for providing an S-300 Air Defense System to Ukraine. [Ukrainian]President [Volodymyr]Zelensky raised many issues with me during our discussions,” Biden declared in a statement promising a substitute system.
The US president also issued a vague warning against “Complacency” in NATO’s response to Russian military activity in Ukraine, stating that “As the Russian military prepares to move on to the next stage of the war, I directed my Administration not to stop trying to find and give to Ukraine the weapons it requires to protect its homeland.”
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin promised to deliver the missiles “in coming days,” while acknowledging there was no “Fixed” deployment length, and that Washington was still consulting with the Slovak government over “more permanent air defense solutions.” However, he said the deployment of the Patriot system “Perfect alignment” with US efforts to bolster NATO’s air defenses.
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Russia accuses Ukraine that it has backedpedaled in peace negotiations
The US has shipped tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and other military aid to Ukraine in the last several weeks to bolster the Zelensky government’s fight against Russia. Numerous European allies joined the effort to send military aid. The Kremlin expressed optimism that the war would be ended in the short term, but it also accuses Kiev of attempting to delay peace talks, and claims that Kiev is trying to prolong the conflict by seeking out time. Moscow also claimed that additional weapons delivery will only prolong the pain and could lead to them being targeted by Russia’s military.
Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger stressed that the “donation” of his country’s only S-300 missile defense system to Ukraine did not constitute entering the war against Russia, declaring in a Facebook post that he had made the “Responsible” decision since the system was “This is strictly defensive.” While he did not name the US at the time, he promised Bratislava had not compromised its own security, pledging its air defenses would soon be replenished by “Allies.”
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