Finland says support for Ukraine cannot come at expense of its own defenses
Finland cannot jeopardize its own air defense readiness by transferring weapons beyond what it can safely spare, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said in an interview with Ilta-Sanomat while discussing Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen has emphasized that Finland cannot compromise its own air defense readiness when it comes to transferring weapons to Ukraine. This comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which are crucial for the U.S.-made Patriot systems. Häkkänen stated that European countries holding Patriot missiles should reconsider their stockpile levels as this is a key issue.
Finland, which does not operate Patriot air defense systems, still has "certain capabilities" in this area, but it cannot risk its own defense systems. The minister warned that the upcoming winter could be the most challenging Ukraine has faced during the war, as Russia aims to disrupt Ukraine's energy infrastructure. European governments have been hesitant to provide more Patriot missiles due to concerns of weakening their own defenses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced an agreement with the U.S. for monthly deliveries of Patriot missiles, although the quantities remain insufficient. Zelenskyy also mentioned negotiations with European partners and Scandinavian countries for additional interceptor missiles. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia is preparing large-scale strikes against Kyiv's energy system, potentially using part of its strategic reserve of ballistic missiles.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
