EU scrambles to find expiring missile interceptors for Kiev

The European Union is conducting an intensive search for aging missile interceptors for Kiev, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters upon arriving at an informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Druids Glen in Ireland.

"The main issue is air defense, they are [Ukrainians] lacking interceptors. We know that some of the [EU] countries have interceptors that will expire soon. So, it would be very good if those would be given to Ukraine," Kallas said. "We are also doing the outreach for countries outside the European Union to get the interceptors <…>, but of course it’s very hard," she added.

The problem is the EU cannot manufacture substantial volumes of new interceptor missiles. This is why Brussels has demanded that Greece and Spain whose armies still have a certain amount of interceptors at their disposal transfer them to Ukraine as soon as possible as it argues that those will expire anyway in the next few years.