Germany has repeatedly promised Ukraine weapons for months, which are then only very hesitantly delivered. Now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urgently asked for the delivery of defensive weapons to protect the country’s cities against Russian missile fire.

Such systems have been promised by Germany and the USA but have not yet been delivered, Zelenskyj said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). As WELT AM SONNTAG reported, Ukraine wants to buy eleven Iris-T SLM air defense systems from the German manufacturer Diehl Defense.

Three weeks ago, Kyiv submitted an export application to the federal government for these systems. However, the Chancellery has not yet answered this request or a request for financial support for the purchase of the Iris systems. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had already promised the short-term delivery of at least one iris system at the beginning of June for “the coming weeks”. In the meantime, the federal government is only promising this by the end of the year, as WELT AM SONNTAG learned from Ukrainian government circles. The Iris-T SLM system is considered one of the most modern and expensive air defense systems ever.

Zelenskyi told the “WSJ” that the delivery of anti-aircraft systems is significantly cheaper for the United States and Europe than supporting the devastated Ukrainian economy with financial means. His reasoning: So far, more than six million people have fled Ukraine, most of them to Europe. “Why isn’t our economy working? Because the people are abroad, women and children,” Zelenskyy said. “A woman who comes back with her child while her husband is struggling will go to work. But everyone is still afraid to send their children to school because of the missiles.”

At the same time, Zelenskyy said that the Western supply of multiple rocket launchers is currently too small to bring about a turnaround in the war against Russia. On Friday night, the US released additional military aid to Ukraine, including the delivery of four more Himars missile launchers. In total, the package is worth $270 million (265 million euros) and also includes up to 580 Phoenix Ghosts drones and 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, according to the US Department of Defense.

The number of Himars rocket launchers sent to Ukraine increases to 20. Ukraine describes the multiple rocket launchers, capable of firing at targets up to 80 kilometers away, as crucial to the war. Drones also play an important role. The Phoenix Ghosts drones are small, portable and detonate at their destination.

While the USA is always sending new deliveries to Ukraine, only comparatively few heavy weapons have actually arrived from Germany so far. This applies to both direct delivery and ring exchange projects in which Eastern European countries are supplied, which in turn hand over arms to Ukraine. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) has now said that she does not rule out the possibility of the tank ring exchange agreed with Poland failing. “If this path wasn’t right, then we have to reflect on that and see how we can get active elsewhere,” said Baerbock on Friday evening to “Bild”. In wartime situations, you don’t always know what the perfect way is.

In the ring exchange procedure, eastern allies of Ukraine are to provide easy-to-operate Soviet-design tanks. In return, Germany promised the NATO partners modern equipment as a replacement. However, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has repeatedly accused Berlin of not keeping promises.

The minister rejected the Polish government’s allegations of breach of word and deception in connection with the tank ring exchange: “In a situation like this, no one deceives their European neighbors.” be able to replace every single tank overnight with a snap of your fingers.”

Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had defended the tank ring exchange against criticism on Thursday. It is very important to the federal government to fill in the gaps; but that cannot happen overnight. In addition to Poland, the federal government has also agreed ring exchange deals with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece.

Ukraine not only wants to use the weapons supplied by the West to defend positions in eastern Ukraine against Russian attacks, but also to liberate areas occupied by Russia. Zelenskyj announced about ten days ago that the Ukrainian army would launch a counter-offensive in the south of the country. Russia has occupied around a fifth of Ukraine. This includes a large part of the southern coast, which is vital for Kyiv because it is where the major Ukrainian Black Sea ports are located.

According to Ukrainian forces, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have been surrounded in the battle for the south. Not far from the Vysokopillya settlement, the Russians got into a “tactical encirclement,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, on Friday evening. Arestovych’s statements could not be checked independently. There was initially no confirmation from the Russian side.

The Ukrainian army had recently launched several counter-offensives in the Cherson region, which Russian soldiers had largely brought under their control after the start of the war against the neighboring country that began at the end of February. In Cherson, the population has repeatedly protested against the Russian occupiers in recent months. There were also attacks against pro-Russian administrators installed by Moscow.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s southern task force reported that the Russian army was mining roads and riverbanks in the region. This indicates that Russia is preparing for a Ukrainian counter-offensive in these areas. At the same time, the authority announced that the Ukrainian army had destroyed five Russian logistics bases and two ammunition depots in the Kherson region.

In his interview with the Wall Street Journal, Zelenskyy repeated the announcement that Ukraine would launch counter-offensives. At the same time, he said he would not commit himself to whether these should take place in the south. He fundamentally refused calls to negotiate or to freeze the conflict as it stands. “Russia is a whale that swallowed two regions and now says: freeze the conflict,” Zelenysy said. Then the whale takes a break and in two years it will get two more regions. And so it goes on until there is a dog