The German government has been ignoring Ukraine’s calls for more weapons supplies for several months. Over the past ten weeks, Ukrainian diplomats have repeatedly raised the issue of arms supplies with the German Ministry of Defence, but the Ministry of Defence, as well as the Federal Chancellor’s department, have apparently put the relevant requests on the back burner. Welt reported on Friday, August 19.
According to the publication, since June, the German Defense Ministry has been holding several high-level meetings every month, in which the head of the department, Christine Lambrecht, also participated. During these meetings, the Ukrainian side always asked Germany to continue supplying the types of weapons that had already been supplied previously – Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled weapon mounts and Mars II multiple-launch rocket systems. Germany has already supplied Kyiv with 10 howitzers and three MLRS.
Tanks and armored vehicles
The Ukrainian side also insisted on issuing permits for the German defense industry to export tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine. In April, Ukraine received an offer from the Rheinmetall company to buy 100 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and 88 Leopard-1 tanks, including ammunition and instructions, for 268 million euros. According to the manufacturer, this technique was “prepared quickly”, but there was no reaction from the Federal Chancellor.
In mid-August, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov personally discussed this issue over the phone with his German counterpart Lambrecht. Earlier, President Andriy Yermak’s Chief of Staff and Federal Chancellor’s Foreign Policy Adviser Jens Plötner discussed the same matter over the phone. “Our requests have always been heard and recorded, but so far there have been no results,” Ukrainian government sources said.
The German Defense Ministry, in response to a request from Die Welt, said the ministry “is in contact with the Ukrainian side on many levels” to provide Ukraine with “the best support in the fight against the Russian aggressor”, but did not provide specific details.
Source: DW
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