BUCHAREST, May 7 (Reuters) - Romanian President Klaus

Iohannis said on Tuesday he was open to discussing sending a

Patriot missile system to Ukraine after German appeals to

European Union and NATO member states to bolster Ukraine's air

defences.

After appeals by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, EU

governments were urged last month to supply more badly needed

defence systems to Kyiv.

Germany has pledged an additional Patriot battery, while

Spain said it will deliver anti-aircraft Patriot missiles.

Other European countries including Greece, the Netherlands,

Poland, Romania and Sweden also have Patriot systems.

"There has been a discussion about who can send Patriot

systems to Ukraine over the last few weeks," Iohannis told

reporters in Washington after meeting U.S. President Joe Biden

in Washington.

"President Biden mentioned it ... in our meeting and I said

I was open to discussion. I must discuss it in the Supreme

Defence Council to see what we can offer and what we can get in

return, because it is unacceptable to leave Romania without air

defences," Iohannis said.

Romania signed a $4 billion deal to get Patriots in 2017,

the NATO and EU state's biggest procurement contract to date,

with the first shipment delivered in 2020.

Although Romania only has one battery in operation, Iohannis

said the discussions concerned another battery that is nearly

operational.

The White House said Biden thanked Romania for its

commitment to security in NATO's east, including in the Black

Sea region, and applauded its defence investments, which exceed

NATO's target of spending at least 2% of GDP.

"The leaders reaffirmed their steadfast support for

Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's senseless

aggression, and President Biden expressed his appreciation for

Romania's support to Ukrainian refugees and efforts to move

Ukrainian grain to market," the White House said, omitting any

mention of Patriot missiles.

Romania, a NATO member since 2004, shares a 650-km

(400-mile) border with Ukraine and has had Russian drone

fragments stray into its territory repeatedly as Moscow attacks

Ukrainian ports just across the Danube River from Romania.

On Tuesday, Iohannis also said he had discussed with Biden

his bid for NATO's top job. Iohannis reiterated he was not

withdrawing his candidacy despite strong support within the

alliance - including from Biden - for outgoing Dutch Prime

Minister Mark Rutte.

"Competition is a good thing, two strong candidates because

in that way more topics will be up for discussion," he said.