Germany says Patriots offered to Poland part of NATO air defense

By Erbil Basay

BERLIN (AA) - Countering Poland's demands to send Patriots to Ukraine, Germany said on Thursday that those defense systems are intended for use on NATO territory.

“These Patriots are part of NATO’s integrated air defense, meaning they are intended to be deployed on NATO territory,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said.

"Any use outside NATO territory would require prior discussions with NATO and the allies," Lambrecht added.

Berlin offered Warsaw the missile system after two people were killed in Poland due to a stray missile attack on Nov. 15, while Poland asked Germany to rather send them to Ukraine.

“After further Russian missile attacks, I asked Germany to have the Patriot batteries offered to Poland transferred to Ukraine and deployed at its western border,” Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak tweeted on Wednesday.