Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Melnyk has called on the German government to lead a European alliance to supply Leopard 2 tanks. The Israeli secret service warns of new Iranian arms deliveries. All developments in the live blog.
2:52 a.m
US budget with Ukraine aid clears first hurdle
The US Senate was the first chamber to pass the new US budget bill. The $1.7 trillion budget also includes around $45 billion for new Ukraine aid.
The Ukraine package includes around $9 billion in military aid and almost $16 billion in economic and humanitarian aid. In addition, twelve billion dollars are planned to replenish the US military’s ammunition stocks and stores after deliveries to Ukraine. Another seven billion are earmarked for additional spending by US troops in Europe.
The US House of Representatives still has to agree on Friday, but this is considered certain.
2:52 a.m
Melnyk calls for a “European tank alliance” under German leadership
The Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk has again demanded that the federal government supply battle tanks and armored personnel carriers for the defense against Russia. He wished that Chancellor Olaf Scholz “finally reconsidered the restraint, for example, with the Leopard battle tank and the Marder infantry fighting vehicle,” said the former ambassador of Ukraine in Germany to the editorial network Germany (RND). “If the federal government does not want to go it alone with the delivery, then Germany could pursue a leading role on the continent, forge a European tank alliance.”
Melnyk had already called for such an alliance in October. At the time, he suggested that European countries with existing stocks of Leopard 2 tanks join forces and ship 10 percent of the 2,000 units to Ukraine. Ukraine has long been asking its allies for Western-style battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. According to Ukrainian information, talks are underway with the federal government about the delivery of the German makes Leopard 2 and Marder. Chancellor Scholz does not want to deliver such tanks as long as they are not provided by other alliance partners.
Melnyk now told the RND that in addition to Leopard and Marder, Ukraine needs German Fuchs and Wiesel armored vehicles. The fox is an armored personnel carrier, the weasel is a light and agile tracked vehicle. “What we also urgently need is ammunition,” emphasized the Deputy Minister.
2:52 a.m
Mossad warns against Iranian arms deliveries
The Israeli secret service Mossad warns against an increase in Iranian arms deliveries to Russia. Tehran secretly plans to “deepen and expand the supply of sophisticated weapons to Russia,” local media quoted Mossad chief David Barnea as saying. In addition, Iran wants to expand uranium enrichment.
Tehran admitted in November that it had supplied drones to Russia. Iran’s leadership, however, claimed that this happened before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The United States recently warned of a “deepened defense partnership” between Moscow and Tehran.