Ukraine seeks more modern weapons from Germany

UKRAINE called on Germany to provide more modern weaponry, days after the German government approved the direct delivery of anti-aircraft tanks to the Ukrainian military for the first time, while the Foreign Minister called for more leadership from Berlin.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the Gepard anti-aircraft tanks are already 40 years old. To defeat Russia, “we need the most modern German weapons,” he said.

What was needed, he said, was newer Leopard and Marder tanks as well as self-propelled howitzers “and much more.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he said, had been slow in his response to the Ukraine war, and compared him to his predecessor as chancellor.

“Olaf Scholz seems to act like Angela Merkel: first wait, observe and decide sometime later - or not. What is missing is imagination and courage.” Melnyk said Kiev also wanted more funding from Germany to help Kiev rearm.

He described concerns that Germany would become party to the conflict as nonsensical, as for Russian President Vladimir Putin, “Germany has long been party to the conflict. Those who want to prevent an expansion of his war must now help us put Putin in his place.”

“The World War III has already begun. Putin’s attack on Ukraine affects everyone,” Melnyk added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made similar comments, calling Germany’s response to the war hesitant compared to other European countries, to Frankfurter Allgemeine eitung newspaper.

Berlin should “take the leading role in Europe, especially in questions of Eastern policy,” he told Monday’s edition, saying this applied to arms deliveries to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia and granting EU candidate status to Ukraine.