Slovakia is prepared to send Ukraine its S-300 air defense system to defend against Russian airstrikes if NATO fills the gap and replaces it in the near term, the country's defense minister said Thursday.
"We're willing to do so immediately when we have a proper replacement," Jaroslav Nad' said at a press conference alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
"The only strategic air defense system that we have in Slovakia is [the] S-300 system. So, what would happen immediately when we decide to give it to the Ukrainians is that we actually create a gap, a security gap in NATO."
He added: "Should there be [a] situation that we have a proper replacement or that we have a capability guaranteed for a certain period of time, then we will be willing to discuss the future of S-300."
Slovakia is one of three NATO countries with the key Soviet-era air defense system.
The transfer is not assured yet as the U.S. and NATO are still figuring out how to backfill Slovakia's defensive capabilities, though two sources familiar with the negotiations said any country providing S-300s is likely to receive the U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile system as a replacement, CNN reports.
Germany and the Netherlands have already said publicly they are sending Patriots to Slovakia.
Congress earlier this week pressured Biden administration officials to help Ukraine get its hands on Soviet-made weaponry, including MiG fighter jets and S-300 surface-to-air missile systems.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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