“The situation is dramatic”
Ukraine asks Berlin for anti-tank missiles
2/14/2022 3:53 am
In order to defend itself against a Russian invasion, Ukraine asks for the supply of heavy weapons. The government in Kiev wants 12,000 anti-tank missiles from Germany. So far, however, Berlin has refused to send deadly weapons.
Before Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Kiev, the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin renewed the demand for heavy weapons from Germany. On “Bild” TV Andriy Melnyk demanded the immediate delivery of 12,000 anti-tank missiles to ward off a possible Russian ground offensive against Ukraine. “The situation is dramatic,” he said. “What we have to be prepared for today is the worst possible scenario.”
Melnyk received support on the show from the foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Jürgen Hardt. “The federal government should – like we did in Northern Iraq with the Peshmerga – jump over their shadow.” In contrast to the impression given by Chancellor Scholz during his visit to Washington, there are no high legal hurdles. “There is no legal reason why Germany couldn’t do that. If the federal cabinet wanted to decide that, it could also approve individual export requests for armaments,” said Hardt.
The German government refuses to supply deadly weapons to Ukraine. However, it is considering making armaments below this threshold available. On a February 3 wish list from the Ukrainian embassy are a number of armaments that are clearly not lethal weapons. These include electronic tracking systems, mine clearance equipment, protective suits, digital radios, radar stations and night vision devices. Anti-tank missiles are not on this wish list. Scholz is traveling to Kiev this Monday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He will be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kiev on Tuesday.