The announcement came following a meeting of Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence in Bucharest, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis. The decision was made in close coordination with Romania’s allies and is contingent upon Romania obtaining a similar or equivalent air defence system to replace the one being donated. The U.S.-made PATRIOT system to be sent to Ukraine is among several such systems that Romania possesses.
“The decision was based on an in-depth technical evaluation by the Romanian authorities, with all necessary measures taken to eliminate any potential vulnerabilities for Romania,” said the office of President Iohannis. “At the same time, discussions with allies will continue to ensure our country’s air defence remains robust.”
The U.S. has previously donated a PATRIOT air and missile defence system to Ukraine and approved sending another earlier this month. Other NATO allies, including Germany, have also provided air defence systems to Ukraine. U.S. officials have consistently urged allied nations to contribute air defence systems to Ukraine. However, some Eastern European countries have been hesitant to relinquish their high-tech systems due to security concerns.
