For Ukraine’s Independence Day, the traffic light government is not satisfied with just good wishes: Chancellor Scholz has promised Kyiv an arms package worth more than 500 million euros. The weapons are to be delivered “mainly in 2023”, but some earlier.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced extensive further arms deliveries to Ukraine. A new package has been launched that includes state-of-the-art air defense systems, rocket launchers, ammunition and anti-drone devices, Scholz said at a conference on the situation in Crimea, to which he was connected from Canada.
A government spokesman said on request that Kyiv is to receive three more IRIS-T air defense systems, a dozen armored recovery vehicles and 20 pick-up-mounted rocket launchers. Overall, according to the spokesman, it is armaments worth well over 500 million euros. The money still has to be released by the budget committee. The weapons are to be delivered “mainly in 2023”, “some significantly earlier”. According to the information, the package also includes precision ammunition. The government spokesman explained that it was the beginning of a sustainable modernization of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Scholz also promised Ukraine continued support in the war against Russia at the Crimea conference. “The international community will never accept Russia’s illegal, imperialist annexation of Ukrainian territory,” said the SPD politician. Ukraine’s partners are united like never before. “I can assure you: Germany stands firmly on Ukraine’s side as long as Ukraine needs our support.”
Scholz also said that Germany and its partners would maintain the sanctions against Russia, provide financial help, supply weapons and also take part in reconstruction. “I am sure that Ukraine will overcome the dark shadow of war – because it is strong, courageous and united in its fight for independence and sovereignty,” said the Chancellor. “And because she has friends in Europe and all over the world.”
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also promised Ukraine continued support from Germany with the delivery of modern weapons. Six months after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, Baerbock said in Berlin that there was no turning back after that day, but that Germany and its allies had to face this “bitter reality”. “Six months later, Russian atrocities, endless suffering and unbelievable destruction, which we could no longer imagine in our common Europe, have become a terrible reality,” said Baerbock after meeting her Icelandic colleague Thordis Kobrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir.
Before the war began, Russian President Vladimir Putin “didn’t respond to any of the countless offers of talks that we kept up to the last minute.” Instead, he “literally threw all agreements and commitments to the wind,” said Baerbock. For this reason, Germany will “continue to consistently support Ukraine in its self-defence, politically, economically, financially and also by supplying modern weapons,” said the Foreign Minister, without naming specific weapon systems. At the same time, she pointed out that NATO is strengthening its defense capability. With the admission of Sweden and Finland, the alliance will have united all Nordic countries in the alliance for the first time in its history, said Baerbock. Iceland has been part of NATO since 1949.
As recently as Monday, the Federal Ministry of Defense had rejected an attempt by coalition politicians to supply Ukraine with more weapons and, if necessary, to accept a weakening of the Bundeswehr. In view of the threat from Russia, the Bundeswehr cannot risk such an approach, said a spokesman for the ministry. “We have to be prepared that Putin could exploit any weakness or even temporary gap in NATO’s defense readiness,” he warned.
The defense experts at Ampel had previously argued that a temporary weakening of the Bundeswehr was to be accepted. “Germany is already doing a lot. But as an economically important country in Europe, we can and should do more,” wrote the members of the Bundestag Kristian Klinck from the SPD, Sara Nanni from the Greens and Alexander Müller from the FDP on Sunday in a guest article for the ” Mirror”. A permanent supply of weapons systems to Ukraine is necessary, “instead of just repeatedly reacting to current challenges”. They call for close coordination with international partners and the armaments industry.