Slovakia’s defense minister said Thursday that the country was willing to give Ukraine its S-300 surface-to-air missile defense systems if it receives a “proper replacement.”
At a press conference in Slovakia with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said Slovakia was discussing the S-300s with the US and Ukraine. “We’re willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement. The only strategic air defense system that we have in Slovakia is S-300 system,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for the S-300 air defense system in a plea to Congress on Wednesday. Ukraine is seeking the Soviet-designed S-300s since it already has some in its inventory and its forces are trained to use them. Other missile systems, such as the US-made Patriots, would require extensive training.
When asked about the US potentially replacing Slovakia’s S-300s, Austin said he didn’t have an announcement to make but said the US would continue to discuss the issue with its NATO allies. The US considered a similar proposal to backfill Poland’s fight jets with US warplanes if Warsaw gave Ukraine old Russian-made MiG-29s but ultimately decided sending the aircraft into Ukraine was too risky.
Sending S-300s and other weapons to Ukraine still risks provoking Russia, and Moscow on Thursday warned against providing Ukraine with air defense systems. “Such deliveries … would be a destabilizing factor which will definitely not bring peace to Ukraine,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “In the long term, they could have much more dangerous consequences.”
The only problem is of course left to the ukies to drive them home in one piece.
Or to find out whether these new BUK missiles really can evade US counter measures? Who knew the Ruskies could come up with their own ingenious solutions?
I saw a video showing the Russians capturing loads of Washington’s shoulder-fired missiles in eastern Ukraine, which they give to the defenders in Donbass. Of course that is forbidden to show on any news in the West, or in Eastern Europe. All this equipment to Ukraine won’t make much of a difference, against Russian planes who can simply fire from within Russian airspace. But it’s good for the arms industry, who finance politicians.
“US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav
Nad said Slovakia was discussing the S-300s with the US and Ukraine.
“We’re willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement.”
Well there you go. Once again another NATO country attempts to get free military hardware from America at the expense of Americas taxpayers.
If it’s not Poland looking to trade old beat MiG-29s for new F-16s, it’s Slovakia looking for new SAM systems provided by America free of charge.
Enough bilking America! Let’s Go Brandon!
Don’t make Vlad angry!
I keep thinking that Russia is going to remember all the countries that pulled this crap, and a nasty surprise might be in store for them sometime in the future.
Yes, if the gloves were to come off, there could be many big suprises… like when the cops go on strike. Maybe one or two home delivered messages to Doltenberg!
Receiving a “proper replacement” means from the US taxpayer.
Is Slovakia going to send them directly to Ukraine or to some other country where the US can pick them up to deliver them? The Poles were willing to give up their jets but the US was only interested if they did so directly so they, Poland, would face Russia’s wrath and not the US. I’m thinking Slovakia will be given similar choices.
Looking for a free upgrade.
Sad
So many East European politicians taking the chance to ingratiate themselves with Washington and get free equipment in return. At the American taxpayer’s expense. And betraying Russia, who they bought the easily handled S-300 defense system from.
Putin should begin targetting all weapons delivered to Ukraine , starting with the ports , rail networks and air fileds . and satalites over Ukraine should be destroyed , giving the Nazi Regime in kyev infomation to kill Russian soldiers , an act of ear if ever i saw one.
It’s not a nazist (“nazi”) regime, any more than Putin is “the new Hitler” like the media say; it’s a globalist-allied regime doing leftist Washington’s bidding. But nationalists in Ukraine were given their due after being the strongest muscle in Maidan, and they are popular in the country. But pretty much every nationalist organization and party in Europe condemned Svoboda’s and Right Sector’s leadership at the time, as they sold out to the Washington-funded groups in Ukraine.
Oh, so some Nazis don’t like other Nazis “selling out”… Right. This is a load of bullshit. Take your neo-Nazi crap down the road.
“Happy Days are here again”, for the arms industry and if you follow the money, that’s always what it’s always about.
Isn’t that system a Russian system? Does anyone believe a Russian System will shoot down a Russian plane? Anyone who believes that needs to read about the British Fakland war, and what happened after an Exxocet took out a British war ship!
I think Zelensky wants S-300 missile systems for a false flag op. When he shoots down an aircraft inside Poland’s borders, the evidence will point to Russia. Malaysia flight 17 was blamed on Russia for the same purpose.
Good point. Although I don’t think he’s going to have time to set that up, not to mention that Russia will track and destroy any such as soon as they cross the border. These are big vehicles, not a truck with some crates of Javelins on it.