Germany can’t Give Ukraine US Patriot Out of Its Stocks

(MENAFN) Germany has announced that it can no longer supply Ukraine with additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, citing limitations in its own stockpile and operational capacity. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin has already contributed “disproportionately much, particularly when it comes to Patriots” and that more than a third of its available systems have already been sent to Kiev.

Since the conflict in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, Germany has been the continent’s second-largest arms provider to Ukraine, behind only the United States, allocating nearly €20 billion ($23 billion) in military aid from January 2022 through October 2025, according to reports from economic research institutions.

Pistorius stressed that Germany is still awaiting replacements for the Patriots it has delivered and must maintain its own military’s training and maintenance capacities. “That’s why we cannot give away any more systems,” he explained.

Data from last year shows Berlin’s arms exports to Ukraine declined sharply. From January to early December 2025, Germany approved €1.14 billion ($1.34 billion) in military equipment deliveries, down from €8.15 billion ($9.73 billion) in 2024. Despite this, the government plans to increase support this year, earmarking €11.5 billion ($13.72 billion) for artillery, drones, armored vehicles, and two additional Patriot systems, though Pistorius did not clarify whether the Patriots are still included in that plan.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky criticized European allies for not moving quickly enough to fund the acquisition of U.S.-made weapons, calling the progress “insufficient.” Russia, meanwhile, has repeatedly condemned Western weapons shipments, asserting they only prolong the conflict without altering its outcome.

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