Request for “prompt processing”
Ukraine sends arms wish list
2/4/2022 8:26 p.m
Before Chancellor Scholz and Foreign Minister Baerbock travel to Ukraine, the country that is in conflict with Russia sends a wish list to Germany. According to one report, the required weapon systems are listed therein.
In view of the conflict with Russia, Ukraine has sent a wish list for arms deliveries to the federal government. This was reported by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) on Friday. The letter therefore lists in detail numerous weapon systems required by Ukraine. According to the “SZ”, the country is asking for medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, portable anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-drone guns, microwave destruction systems, electronic tracking systems, but also night vision devices, surveillance cameras and ammunition. The letter emphasizes that these are “weapons systems of a defensive nature”.
The federal government has so far ruled out arms deliveries to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz only gave a clear rejection of such a measure on Wednesday evening in the ZDF “heute journal”. This attitude of the SPD politician has recently been clearly criticized by Ukraine and eastern NATO allies. According to “SZ”, Ukraine asked in its letter, which according to the report was sent to the foreign and defense ministers, for this application to be “processed as soon as possible”.
Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock want to mediate in the coming week with diplomatic visits in the tense conflict. Green Party politician Baerbock will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev on Monday. On Tuesday she will visit the front line between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass conflict zone. Scholz has planned a trip to Kiev for February 14, and a day later he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Scholz is already leaving for a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington this Sunday.