battle tanks and submarines
Ukraine asks Berlin for more weapons
03/04/2022, 07:10 am
The war in Ukraine is causing Germany to change its foreign policy stance on arms deliveries. Ukraine is now asking for further support from Berlin in the fight against Putin’s “war of annihilation”. Battle tanks, air defense systems and combat drones are on the wish list.
The Ukrainian embassy in Berlin is asking the German government to supply additional weapon systems to fight the Russian attackers, including main battle tanks, submarines and combat aircraft. This emerges from a so-called verbal note from the embassy to the Chancellery, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense, which is available to the German Press Agency. “In view of the extremely tense security situation due to the ongoing Russian aggression, the Ukrainian government requests that this application be processed as quickly as possible and given a benevolent examination,” it said.
The reason for the request is that Russian President Vladimir Putin has started a “war of annihilation” against Ukraine and the Ukrainians, in which highly modern weapon systems are being used – including banned weapons such as cassette bombs with cluster munitions. “In doing so, the Russian Federation is seriously violating international humanitarian law,” says the note, which is dated March 3. In addition, “numerous war crimes” were committed by the Russian side. That is why the Ukrainian government is asking “for immediate assistance from the federal government”.
In addition to main battle tanks, the Ukrainian embassy’s list also includes infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems such as self-propelled howitzers, anti-aircraft systems, combat and support helicopters, reconnaissance and combat drones, transport aircraft and warships. These weapon systems are “urgently needed” by the Ukrainian armed forces, according to the note verbale. “In these dramatic days, everything possible must be done to stop Russia’s war of annihilation.”
The federal government had ruled out arms deliveries to Ukraine for a long time, but then decided to do so on Saturday – day three of the war. 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks have already been handed over to Ukraine. In addition, the delivery of 2,700 “Strela” anti-aircraft missiles from former stocks of the National People’s Army (NVA) of the GDR is planned, but not yet decided.