“No time for excuses”
Baerbock for delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine
04/11/2022 11:07 am
Defense Minister Lambrecht recently referred to delivery problems with arms deliveries to Ukraine. Now Foreign Minister Baerbock intervenes. It is “time for creativity and pragmatism,” says the Green politician. Ukraine also needs heavy weapons to defend the country.
In view of the “terrible pictures” from Ukraine, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is pushing for the fastest possible delivery of arms to the country: “Now is no time for excuses, now is the time for creativity and pragmatism,” said Baerbock on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. “Above all, Ukraine also needs heavy weapons,” she emphasized. In technical jargon, heavy weapons are understood to mean, for example, battle tanks, artillery pieces, warships and combat aircraft.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht recently referred to the Bundeswehr’s delivery problems. In an interview, she said it was hardly possible to supply Ukraine with weapons and material directly from Bundeswehr stocks without endangering Germany’s ability to defend itself.
Ukraine had previously asked Germany to supply up to 100 used Marder tanks. However, these would have to be taken from the current inventory of the Bundeswehr. The gap could be filled with decommissioned tanks that are currently at the Rheinmetall armaments group. However, the general overhaul would last until next year.
On the fringes of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting, Baerbock also signaled her approval for an increase in EU military aid for Ukraine to a total of 1.5 billion euros. The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had suggested this on the occasion of his joint trip to Kyiv with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.
The meeting in Luxembourg is also about an oil embargo against Russia, which the government in Kyiv, Poland and the Baltic states have been demanding for some time. Only on Friday did the EU states seal an import ban on Russian coal and other sanctions.