Germany's foreign and defense ministers last week launched the Immediate Action on Air Defense (IAAD) initiative, in which they sent a letter to allies calling on governments to find and fund more air defense systems for Ukraine.
"russia is trying to destroy Odesa, Ukraine’s economic lifeline, and Kharkiv, its industrial and technology hub," reads the letter sent to the allies by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Read more: Who Could Become a Donor of Another Patriot Air Defense System After Germany?
While the German government has come under fire for refusing to donate Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, it has instead sought to increase provisions of air defense systems.
Germany later announced that several countries have shown interest in the initiative. The German defense ministry stated that Denmark and the Netherlands are currently in discussions regarding financial backing for the IAAD.
According to Politico, the ammunition program has raised hundreds of millions of euros to date, with Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands among the major contributors.
In addition to the Patriot missile systems, the German initiative includes locally produced alternatives such as SAMP/T, NASAMS, HAWK, IRIS-T, or S-300 air defense systems.
Read more: Germany "Immediately" Sends Patriot to Ukraine – Pistorius
