Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said his country was willing to provide Ukraine with the S-300 air defense missile system if NATO found a replacement.
Previously, Ukraine appealed to Western countries to supply air defense systems to help repel the Russian military offensive, which is currently in its fourth week.
"We have discussed with the US, Ukraine and also other allies about the possibility of deploying, delivering or delivering the S-300 to Ukraine and we are willing to do so," Nad said, Thursday (17/3).
"But, willing to do it immediately when we have the right replacement," he told a news conference, as quoted by Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who spoke with Nad at a news conference, declined to say whether the United States might be willing to replace the S-300 Slovakia.
"I have no announcements for you this afternoon. These are things we will continue to work on with all of our allies. And of course, this isn't just a US issue, it's a NATO issue," Austin said, without elaborating. .
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in security assistance, including weapons to bring down planes and destroy Russian tanks.
However, the Slovak air defense system is very much sought after by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Slovakia, a NATO member, has a battery of S-300 air defense systems, inherited from the Soviet era after the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
Nad hopes to get Patriot missile defenses as part of the NATO battle group, which was recently agreed to deploy in the country as part of the defense pact's reinforcements on the Eastern side of Europe.
However, Slovakia does not see that as enough, given that the Patriot missile will not be their system and it is not clear how long it will be based in the country. Slovakia shares a 98 km long border with Ukraine.
Subscribe Daily Post or Follow Google News to update information quickly, Thank you..!!