Germany's Scholz calls for more Patriot air defense for Ukraine

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz continued to call for additional deliveries of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine by other countries.

"Germany has led the way by providing a third Patriot system," Scholz told reporters on Tuesday before leaving for a three-day NATO summit in Washington.

He added that Germany had also strengthened various areas of Ukraine's air defense with the delivery of Iris-Ts and the Gepard anti-aircraft tank, for example.

Scholz stressed that "others in Europe and elsewhere in the world have already been asked" to do more for Ukraine to defend itself against missile attacks.

"We hope that there will be more Patriot systems from other countries. That remains unchanged," Scholz added.

On Monday morning, Russia attacked various cities in Ukraine with missiles and cruise missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of hitting a children's hospital in Kyiv in the attacks.

Russia "categorically" rejected the accusations of an attack on the hospital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"We do not attack civilian targets. The attacks are directed against critical infrastructure facilities, against military targets that are connected in one way or another with the military potential of the Kyiv regime," he said.

The three-day NATO summit will take place in in Washington through Thursday. The heads of state and government of the 32 NATO members, their partner countries, and the European Union will celebrate NATO's 75th birthday.