“Much more concrete” desired
Melnyk is disappointed by Scholz’s speech
5/9/2022 1:34 am
In his speech to Germany, Chancellor Scholz dismissed criticism that he was hesitant to deliver arms to Ukraine. The Ukrainian ambassador Melnyk sees things differently – his country expects more from Berlin than the promised howitzers. He calls for further “historical decisions”.
Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk expressed dissatisfaction with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s televised speech on the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. In the speech, one would have wished for “much more concrete information” about how the Bundestag decision on the delivery of heavy weapons should be implemented, Melnyk said on “Anne Will”. “Unfortunately, we haven’t heard much that’s new.”
Melnyk called the German government’s commitment to deliver seven self-propelled howitzers – modern artillery systems – to Ukraine a “good decision”. At the same time, he made it clear that he expected much more. “When we hear the Chancellor saying that Russia must not win, that means that everything, absolutely everything should be done (…) to help us in this difficult situation, in this war, the worst war since Second World War,” demanded the diplomat.
Melnyk said that Hitler’s Germany could only be defeated because the United States and other countries supplied the Soviet Union with thousands of planes and tanks under the Lend-Lease Act. “And we’re talking about seven self-propelled howitzers and no further prospects.” Further “historic decisions” by the Bundestag and the federal government would be important in order to help with everything that Ukraine needs.
Scholz addressed the citizens of Europe on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II and underlined German support for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. Not helping Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor would mean “surrendering to sheer violence”.