Weapons for Ukraine
Ambassador: German position on arms deliveries “cowardly”
Sharply criticizes the federal government: Andriy Melnyk, Ambassador of Ukraine in Berlin. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In the discussion about the transfer of MiG-29 combat aircraft, Ukraine has shown disappointment with Germany. The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin finds clear words.
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, has sharply criticized what he sees as the German government’s hesitant attitude towards arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The clear refusal to deliver MiG-29 combat aircraft from Poland is very disappointing for the Ukrainians, he said on Thursday evening on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz – An Evening for Ukraine”. “It is indeed a cowardly decision – not only by the Americans, but also by the Germans.” Germany says no to planes and no to tanks for Ukraine. In view of the Russian war of aggression, tanks are also defensive weapons.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that the government was ready to move all of its MiG-29 fighter jets to the US Ramstein Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate immediately and make the machines available to the US. But US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby dismissed the move on Wednesday, saying such a move “could lead to a significant Russian response that could increase the prospects of a military escalation with NATO.”
Melnyk criticized that Russian President Vladimir Putin “still determines the rules of the game, and the Germans, the Europeans, the NATO countries are following”. He also called on the federal government to grant Ukraine a perspective for EU membership and to punish Putin more severely. Courageous decisions are needed now and not just excuses.
The FDP politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff defended the position of the federal government. The anti-tank weapons delivered to Ukraine are a concrete help and exactly the right tool. However, the communication of the Poles in the case of the fighter jets was a debacle, he said. “It looks like Vladimir Putin is still deciding our politics here.”