Ukraine Tried to Buy "Iron Dome," Israel Said NOPE
Israel halted an attempt by the US to transfer several batteries of the Iron Dome defense system to Ukraine over worries it would damage its relations with Russia, the Ynet news site reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the defense system’s capabilities — especially during the 2021 Gaza war — piqued the interest of Ukrainian officials.
The country’s representatives began working vigorously in Washington last year to persuade US lawmakers to initiate a transfer of the rocket and mortar defense system to them.
The Ukrainian government officially asked the Biden administration to transfer Patriot and Iron Dome missiles to Ukraine last spring.
At the time, when then there were no worries of a possible Russian invasion, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers supported the transfer.
However, due to Iron Dome being a joint Israeli-American project, a sale to a third party cannot take place without the approval of both developer countries.
According to the report, Israeli officials made it clear to the US administration in informal talks that it wouldn’t agree to the transfer of Iron Dome batteries to Kyiv, fearing it would hurt its relations with Russia, especially in light of Moscow’s influence over Syria.
The Ukrainians, in turn, have in recent months made direct requests to the Israeli government and asked for officials to approve the sale.
Convinced by Israel’s arguments, the US dropped the transfer of both Iron Dome and Patriot missiles.
Ukraine has apparently not given up on trying to get something, anything, that would give them the upper hand. Considering the stories that America is getting, it make one wonder why Ukraine needs any help.
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