Patriot rockets for Ukraine? Interview with Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur

In an exclusive interview with DW, Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur spoke about Poland's request to send the Patriot system to Ukraine. He maintained a solution must be found together with all NATO members but didn't specify when this would happen.

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has so far rejected calls to send the Patriot system to Ukraine, which was previously offered to Poland. She argued that it needed to be cleared by NATO first.

Pevkur agreed with his German counterpart and furthermore appealed for unity among NATO members, arguing that "Russia wants to divide us."

Asked whether the recent missile crash in Poland was a wake up call, he maintained "We don't need a wake up. We are awake already. We we see what is going on in Ukraine. And this is exactly why I said also here today, also in bilateral meeting and have said that many times in different meetings that we don't have the luxury to say that we will stop helping Ukraine."

He praised Germany's contribution of the Iris-T system to Ukraine - a system Germany doesn't "even have themselves". He went on to highlight the progress that was made in providing Ukraine with winter supplies. Together Germany and Estonia made two military field hospitals available to Ukraine. "So Estonia produces, Germany finances and then we send it to Ukraine."