In an interview with ZDF in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Selenskyj criticized the fact that Chancellor Scholz was later to deliver arms than other countries. The federal government must finally realize that a relationship with the Russian government is not helpful.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj calls on Olaf Scholz to take a clearer stance on the Ukraine war. “We need Chancellor Scholz to be sure that Germany supports Ukraine. He and his government have to make a decision,” he said in an interview with the ZDF “heute-journal” in Kyiv. It should not be attempted to create a balancing act between Ukraine and relations with Russia. Russia attacked the neighboring country at the end of February.
“Germany came a little later than some of our neighboring countries in terms of arms deliveries. That’s a fact,” criticized the head of state. The first to take action were the USA, Great Britain, the Baltic States and other eastern EU countries. Initially, Germany and France only supported Ukraine politically and rhetorically.
Recently, the Ukrainian side has often denounced the fact that Germany is too hesitant to deliver arms that it has already promised to Ukraine. Hopes are now pinned on Chancellor Scholz’s forthcoming visit to Kyiv, according to a media report. The Ukrainian government is hoping for concrete promises for an immediate delivery of German tanks.
The Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, asked Scholz to promise Leopard main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles. An adviser to Zelenskyy said Ukraine would need 1,000 heavy artillery pieces (howitzers), 300 multiple rocket launchers, 500 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles and 1,000 drones to win the war against the Russian invaders.
In the interview, Selenskyj painted a dramatic picture of the situation: “The Russian government doesn’t care how many people die. They don’t care how long the war lasts. Because they make money from it through energy exports. We don’t care that people lose their lives.”
When asked whether Ukraine’s territories could be ceded in the interests of peace, Zelenskyy replied: “We are on our own soil, this is our people, this is our territory and it hurts a lot to lose people, that’s how it is but we will lose everything if we lose to Russia in this war.” Ukraine is only ready to hold talks if the other side is ready to put an end to the war.
