Germany Offers Poland Patriot Missiles to Defend Airspace

Germany's Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told German newspapers in comments published Monday that her country has offered Eurofighters and Patriot defense systems to Poland to help it defend its airspace.

“We have to position ourselves in the alliance even better in terms of air defense,” and that goes particularly for Poland, Slovakia, and the Baltic countries, she told the Rheinische Post and General-Anzeiger newspapers.

Lambrecht stated that Germany is already present with these air defense weapons in Slovakia and wants to extend this until 2023 or even beyond.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said he had received a German offer of additional Patriot missiles "with satisfaction" and would deploy them near the border with Ukraine.

He wrote on Twitter that during a telephone conversation on Monday with the German side, he would propose the Patriot missile reinforcement site. Poland has already deployed US Patriot missiles.

On Tuesday, two Poles were killed when a missile hit a grain depot in the village of Przewodow, just 6 km (4 miles) from the border with Ukraine, which came under a heavy Russian missile attack that day.

Germany's offer of arms to defend Poland testifies to the kind and trusting relations built by neighboring countries, after overcoming its dramatic history that included the invasion of Nazi German forces and the brutal occupation of Poland during World War II. German forces have been on Polish soil recently as part of NATO drills.