Romania's Ministry of National Defence has introduced a bill in Parliament to facilitate the transfer of a Romanian Patriot anti-aircraft missile system to Ukraine. The Patriot system, in its latest configuration, was acquired by Romania from the United States, and the country is set to receive a total of seven systems. Four of these have already been delivered, with two currently operational.

The proposed transfer requires legal adjustments to the 2017 legislation under which Romania purchased the Patriot systems from the US at a cost of over 4 billion US dollars. The bill also stipulates that, in exchange for the transfer, Bucharest will receive a new air defense system funded by Ukraine's partners. The Romanian Parliament must also approve additional fees and commissions totaling around 60 million US dollars.

Although the bill does not specify an exact date for the transfer, it indicates that it should occur "as soon as possible." The bill will be considered during the Parliament's autumn session, which starts on September 2.

Earlier this year, in June, Romania made the decision to transfer its Patriot system to Ukraine. Despite promises from Kyiv's NATO allies to provide seven air defense systems, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that some of these systems have yet to be delivered.