Crisis in Eastern Europe
“Drops in the bucket”: Germany is delivering 5,000 protective helmets to Ukraine – and is receiving criticism
Germany has pledged to deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine
© Friso Gentsch / DPA
Germany wants to support Ukraine with 5,000 military helmets. According to the Eastern European country, however, the demand is in the range of one hundred thousand. The Ukrainian ambassador spoke of a “purely symbolic gesture”.
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) announced the planned delivery of protective helmets on Wednesday after a meeting of the Defense Committee in Berlin. She welcomed the fact that talks on the Ukraine conflict are getting going again. “We are working on resolving this conflict in the middle of Europe peacefully,” said Lambrecht.
At the same time, the SPD politician emphasized that there were red lines in these talks that could not be negotiated. “Compliance with international law cannot be negotiated. The integrity of states and alliance sovereignty cannot be discussed,” she said.
Ukraine ambassador criticizes delivery as a “purely symbolic gesture”
The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk welcomed the delivery promised by the federal government, but at the same time criticized it as a “purely symbolic gesture”. “It’s just a drop in the bucket, it’s not even a consolation,” he told the German Press Agency on Wednesday. “Ukraine is expecting a 180-degree about-face from the federal government, a true paradigm shift.”
Ukraine is demanding large-scale arms shipments to defend against a possible Russian attack. Melnyk had spoken of warships and air defense systems. He had also asked for 100,000 protective helmets and vests for volunteers.
With repeated calls for arms deliveries, Ukraine was largely rejected in the traffic light coalition. On January 19, the country wrote to the Ministry of Defense asking for equipment assistance, citing helmets and body armor as needed. According to the ministry, no specific quantities were requested.
Kazakhstan sinks into chaos – the images of a state of emergency
13 images
According to Melnyk, the delivery of the helmets is “the first sign that the traffic light government is finally trying to critically question its absolutely incomprehensible blockade attitude, so that Ukraine’s ability to defend itself can be strengthened in view of the acute danger of war”. At the same time, however, it is nothing more than a purely symbolic gesture, above all to calm the excitement in the Ukrainian and European public. “We don’t need tactics and manoeuvring, but courageous action by the Federal Republic, which is finally supplying Ukraine with German defensive weapons, which we need most of all today,” said Melnyk.