EU urges Greece and Spain to send Patriot batteries to Ukraine and boost Red Sea ASPIDES mission
EU officials pressed Greece and Spain to dispatch Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine and to reinforce the ASPIDES naval operation in the Red Sea.
At the EU defence ministers’ summit in Brussels, Kaja Kallas reiterated pressure on Greece and Spain to contribute Patriot long-range air-defence units to Ukraine, noting that American shipments to Kyiv will take time. The Greek defence ministry responded that national security considerations prevent any Patriot deployment abroad and that the battery located in Janbur, Saudi Arabia since 2021 will not be transferred. Kallas acknowledged no new developments on the Patriot issue but stressed the urgency of bolstering Ukraine’s sky shield.
The meeting also addressed the ASPIDES naval task force, which currently relies on Greek and Italian warships to escort commercial traffic in the Red Sea. Following recent Houthi strikes near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Kallas urged the EU to allocate additional resources to the operation and adopt a comprehensive security approach beyond the northern front.
Why it matters
The story highlights EU defence coordination challenges and the security of vital maritime routes amid the Ukraine war.
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