Lambrecht makes a surprise visit to Ukraine – and promises arms delivery
“If we act alone, that would put Germany in a highly exposed position”
Defense Minister Lambrecht announces further deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, including the MARS II multiple rocket launcher. But there are still no main battle tanks or armored personnel carriers. Retired General Roland Kather talks about why this should be viewed positively.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has traveled to Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war. In Odessa, she announces the rapid delivery of the Iris-T SLM ground-based air defense system. During their stay in the port city, there is an air raid alarm.
VDuring her first visit to the Ukraine, Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht inspected a Gepard anti-aircraft tank originally from Germany. At the site where the system was used in the Odessa grain port, the SPD politician said on Saturday that it would help protect “critical infrastructure” and ward off Russian air raids. From the port, Ukrainian grain is exported to the world via the Black Sea.
At a meeting with her Ukrainian colleague Oleksiy Reznikov, she also announced the delivery of a first promised unit of the Iris-T SLM ground-based air defense system in the next few days. In view of the many Russian air raids, defense, including the drones that have already been delivered, is “very important”.
Weapons are now in demand that are “suitable for air defense,” she said later in an interview with ARD Tagesthemen. Regarding Putin’s threats about nuclear weapons, she advises “everyone not to trivialize it”. But it should not lead to “that we let ourselves be paralyzed”. Regarding Ukraine’s application for NATO membership, Lambrecht explained that there was agreement in Brussels that NATO would not become a party to the war and that it would remain so in the future.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD, 3rd from left) visits a defensive position outside of Odessa and is shown a tank captured by the Russians
Source: dpa/Jörg Blank
However, additional deliveries were to be made, and Germany wanted to advertise this to its allies. “The most important thing at the moment is that these attacks, which hit the civilian population, frighten them and kill them, that these air attacks can be fought,” emphasized Lambrecht. Ukraine should also be quickly supplied with tanks from Greece and Slovakia for its fight against Russia. “And Germany is helping to close the gaps in Greece and Slovakia.” This exchange of rings is “very important”.
With tanks “no going it alone”
Regarding Ukraine’s demands on the federal government to supply tanks, Lambrecht reiterated: “Germany has always made it clear that we will not go it alone in this area. It is also known in Ukraine that we always coordinate with our partners, for example with the self-propelled howitzer that we delivered together with the Netherlands and also trained on it.”
Germany has coordinated with the USA and Great Britain on multiple rocket launchers. “And we will continue to do the same in the future, also when it comes to the delivery of tanks.”
Lambrecht was woken up early on Sunday morning by another air raid alarm in the Ukrainian port city. With other members of her delegation, the SPD politician had to seek shelter in the bunker of her hotel shortly before 1 a.m. After about 20 minutes the all clear was given and the minister was able to return to her room.
Lambrecht told the dpa news agency that she was surprised by the alarm while she was sleeping. For security reasons, she handed in her mobile phone before traveling to Ukraine to prevent them from being located. Otherwise she would probably still have been awake and would have read on her mobile phone, the minister said.
At around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Lambrecht had to go into a bunker for 45 minutes during a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Resnikov because of an air raid alarm. Odessa is also regularly fired at by the Russian army with rockets and drones. The minister had traveled to Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war.
Before her visit to Odessa, Lambrecht was in Moldova, which borders Ukraine, in the morning. Moldova and Ukraine are EU accession candidates. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the other 26 heads of state and government of the European Union decided that. According to a recommendation by the EU Commission, accession negotiations with both countries should only begin once they have fulfilled further reform requirements. It is about judicial reforms and stronger fight against corruption.