Germany to send Ukraine PAC-2 missiles from its own stockpile, as Kyiv says most of the roughly 1,000 Patriot missiles it is ordering will take years to arrive

Germany will send Ukraine PAC-2 air defense missiles from its own stockpiles for use in American-made Patriot systems, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at a Ramstein group meeting, urging allies to favor Ukraine when weighing their own security needs. Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said Kyiv is contracting for roughly 1,000 Patriot missiles, most of which will not arrive for years, hence the appeal for stockpile donations in the meantime.

The European Union separately approved an exception letting Ukraine buy critical Patriot components outside the usual requirement that purchases come mainly from EU-based manufacturers, unlocking a 3.2 billion euro tranche, according to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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