Another total waste of time and money.
NATO countries are sending a trove of weapons to Ukraine after Zelensky’s requested air cover. Here’s what each country is sending over
Sophie Mellor - 55m ago
Nato-led allies are preparing to send advanced air defense weapons to Kyiv after Volodymyr Zelensky called on wealthy western nations to help Ukraine create an “air shield” against incoming Russian aerial attacks.
At the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defense taking place in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, the U.K., Canada, France, and the Netherlands all promised to send new weaponry to Ukraine, on top of the air military systems already promised by the U.S. and Germany.
The move to send more artillery comes a day after three-quarters of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly called Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian territory "illegal" with only four countries (Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Belarus) joining Russia to vote against the resolution.
Kyiv celebrated the summit calling it “historic” and welcomed the new weaponry, which will be used to fight back Russian missiles raining down on more than 40 Ukrainian cities and towns.
Zelensky previously said at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington: "The more assistance Ukraine gets now, the sooner we'll come to an end to the Russian war."
Russia has always held a staunch position against the West providing weaponry to Ukraine, accusing them of being “a direct party to the conflict." They also warn that if Ukraine is admitted to NATO, which it has already submitted a fast-track membership bid to join, this could trigger World War Three.
Here's what countries are sending to Ukraine:
Germany
Since Russia first began its airstrike against Ukraine on Monday, Germany has sent the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Kyiv.
People view a displayed IRIS-T SLM air defense system at the ILA Berlin Air Show in Schoenefeld, Germany, on June 22, 2022. With the participation of about 550 exhibitors from about 30 countries and regions, the ILA Berlin Air Show kicked off here on Wednesday. (Photo by Shan Yuqi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
People view a displayed IRIS-T SLM air defense system at the ILA Berlin Air Show in Schoenefeld, Germany, on June 22, 2022. With the participation of about 550 exhibitors from about 30 countries and regions, the ILA Berlin Air Show kicked off here on Wednesday. (Photo by Shan Yuqi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
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The IRIS-T system is manufactured by Diehl Defense, based in Überlingen, and cost about €140 million ($136 million) each. They are designed to provide medium-range, high-altitude cover for small cities and armies.
The missiles are deployable 360 degrees around the launcher and use infrared imaging to identify targets. The weapons have so far never been used on the battlefield and the final tests on the device were only conducted in late 2021.
The U.S.
Washington, meanwhile, has promised to speed up its delivery of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday, with two units expected to be delivered soon and six more sent over a longer time frame.
NASAMS, developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway and Raytheon, is one of NATO’s most widely used air-defense systems and is currently deployed to protect the Washington area.
But despite Washington's promise to send the launchers as soon as possible, there has been difficulty sourcing the weapons on such short notice. Raytheon Technologies Corp said on Tuesday it would be accelerating the assembly of the NASAMS units by using existing parts rather than building new ones from scratch to get them to Ukraine quicker.
