Ukraine demands warships and air defenses from Germany
Ukraine demands warships and air defense systems from Germany
Ukraine demands from Germany the delivery of warships and air defense systems. In view of the Russian troop deployment, FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann no longer rules out a delivery of weapons for self-defense.
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin names specific weapon systems that his country would like to use to defend itself against Russia. Meanwhile, the US government is warning of possible plans for nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Dhe Ukraine is not giving up even after the German government gave a clear no to arms deliveries. The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin is now even naming concrete weapon systems that his country is hoping for from Germany to defend against a possible Russian attack. “It’s primarily about German warships, which are among the best in the world, which we urgently need for the robust defense of the long coast in the Black and Azov Seas,” Ambassador Andriy Melnyk told the dpa news agency. “There is the same huge demand for the most modern air defense systems, which are currently being produced by German armaments companies.”
Ukraine has been demanding weapons from Germany for years in order to be able to defend itself against a possible Russian attack – so far without success. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) gave Kiev a clear rejection on Tuesday. “The German federal government has been pursuing a similar strategy on this issue for many years. And that also means that we don’t export lethal weapons,” said Scholz. “That has not changed with the change of government that took place in December last year.”
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) also rejected the request on Monday during her visit to Kiev. The attitude towards arms deliveries and a restrictive arms export policy is also based on German history.
Melnyk was irritated by this justification. “The fact that the question of historical responsibility is used in Berlin as an argument for rejecting military aid is astonishing,” he said. “This responsibility should apply to the Ukrainian people, who lost at least eight million lives during the German Nazi occupation of Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, indicated a rethinking of the issue of arms deliveries. “We should think about supplying defensive weapons to Ukraine,” said the FDP politician to “Bild”. But these must be precisely defined.
Strack-Zimmermann recently said in an interview with the dpa: “In the traffic light coalition agreement, we ruled out delivering weapons to crisis areas. That includes Ukraine.”
US warns of possible nuclear weapons in Belarus
Amid the Ukraine crisis, the US has warned of a possible future stationing of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. A US State Department official said Tuesday a constitutional amendment pushed by ruler Alexander Lukashenko could indicate that the country could allow Russia to station both conventional and nuclear weapons on its territory. This would be a “challenge to European security that may call for a response”.
The ministry representative also expressed concern about the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus. “The timing is remarkable and, of course, raises fears that Russia may plan to deploy troops in Belarus under the guise of joint military exercises to potentially attack Ukraine.” would be expected.
Lukashenko is leaning more and more on Russia, the US ministry official said. “And we know he doesn’t get that support for free.”
Lukashenko announced joint military maneuvers with Russia on Monday. He justified this with the strengthening of NATO’s military presence in Poland and the Baltic States and the tense situation in Ukraine. The first Russian soldiers have now arrived in Belarus.
Lukashenko had announced constitutional changes in the face of mass protests against his controversial re-election in 2020. The long-time ruler has Moscow’s backing.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will begin his European tour in Kiev on Wednesday. There he intends to discuss the threat posed by the militarily superior neighbor Russia with the state leadership before heading to top-level diplomatic meetings in Berlin and Geneva.
Because of a massive Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, the West fears that Russia is preparing to invade the neighboring country. The government in Moscow denies this.