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Romania is now discussing the possibility of transferring Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told Euronews.
Specialists are determining the best course of action, after which the Supreme National Defense Council will decide, he said.
The proposal to transfer Patriot systems to Ukraine is "under review."
This discussion should not be made public prematurely, the Prime Minister added.
"I know it’s a fascinating topic," he said.
"I could make it ‘breaking news,’ but I believe we’ve reached a level of political maturity where we avoid such disclosures on important matters."
Romania signed an agreement to acquire Patriot systems in 2017, but only one is now operational, Euronews reported.
Romania could provide Ukraine with a Patriot air defense system only if Romania receives something in exchange, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said earlier.
Additional air defense for Ukraine
Western partners are reluctant to give Ukraine "five to seven" Patriot systems, despite having over 100, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 3.
Ukraine needs 25 Patriot systems or their equivalents to fully protect its airspace from Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on April 6.
Ukraine is actively negotiating with allies for the supply of two Patriot batteries and one SAMP-T system.
Russia would not have destroyed the Trypillia thermal power plant if Ukraine had enough Patriot systems, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 12.
G7 foreign ministers meeting in Italy pledged to help Ukraine strengthen its air defense on April 19.
The U.S. is considering providing Ukraine with another Patriot battery to bolster its air defense capabilities, Bloomberg reported on May 15.
Zelenskyy suggested NATO countries might support transferring seven Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine at the Washington summit in July, The New York Times wrote on May 21.
Spain and Greece have so far refused to redeploy their systems, although Madrid is sending missiles. Poland also declined to transfer one of its batteries.
The Dutch Defense Ministry announced plans on May 28 to quickly assemble and deliver a Patriot system to Ukraine.
Germany will provide Ukraine with a Patriot system as part of a new €500 million military aid package, the German Foreign Ministry confirmed on May 31.
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