Under certain conditions, Slovakia’s defense minister said his country might be willing to offer Ukraine S-300 long-range air defense missile systems.
At a news briefing in Bratislava with visiting US officials, Defense Minister Jaroslav Naj’ stated. The topic is still being discussed, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Anti-air defense systems from the Soviet-era employ long-range missiles capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers and destroying cruise missiles as well as bombers. They might be useful in deterring Russian aviation attacks on Ukraine.
Such a transfer, according to Naj’, would be possible if his country acquired a “good replacement” for its S-300s or if Slovakia received “capability assured for a length of time.”
He stated emphatically that he could not send the S-300s to Ukraine in a way that would leave a gap in his country’s defenses. He stated that Slovakia is willing to reach an agreement that protects its air defenses.
Austin would not clarify whether the Pentagon would be able to supply Slovakia with a replacement for its S-300s. “These are issues, on which we will continue to engage with all of our partners, and this is clearly not a US-only issue; it is a NATO-wide concern.”
