Israel treads a narrow tightrope, says no to Spike for Ukraine
Estonian soldier training with Spike ATGM. (Photo: Estonian Defence Forces)
Fearful of damaging the delicate relationship with Moscow that allows relatively unmolested strikes on Syrian targets, Israel is rejecting Ukrainian requests for advanced ATGMs.
Israel has decided not to authorise European users of Rafael Spike to donate the advanced ATGMs to Ukraine, so as avoid disrupting its fragile relationship with Russia that allows attacks on Iran-related targets in Syria.
One defence source told Shephard the sensitive triangular relationship between, Israel, Russia and Ukraine has prompted the Israeli MoD to impose strict end-user restrictions on exports to NATO members such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have ordered large quantities of Spike ATGMs in recent years.
Ukraine has requested Spike missiles repeatedly, both before and since the Russian invasion began on 24 February.
The Baltic
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