Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Ukraine insists on a change of course
Kiev: Germany blocked arms delivery
In the conflict with the Kremlin, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyi, Western diplomacy is not delivering any results. Kiev must therefore protect itself against a possible attack by Russia – and that requires weapons. However, Berlin is putting a spanner in the works for them.
Ukraine has accused Germany of lacking support and blocking arms deliveries against the background of tensions with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi spoke in a newspaper interview that Berlin “recently prevented us from receiving supplies of defense weapons systems within the framework of NATO cooperation”. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on the other hand, referred to “the imperative of de-escalation” and at the same time emphasized solidarity with Ukraine.
“Every democratic state that protects itself against aggression must have the right to acquire this type of defensive weapon,” Zelenskyi said. In “some capitals”, however, fear still prevails, he added, apparently with a view to Berlin.
Kiev announced in November that, in view of Russia’s “aggression”, it wanted to acquire additional defense weapons from the West. Because of the Russian troop deployment on the Ukrainian border, Kiev and western states fear an attack by Moscow on Ukraine. However, fearing that the conflict in eastern Ukraine would escalate, the West hesitated for a long time to sell weapons to Kiev. Eventually, the Ukrainian government managed to acquire some defense systems, including devices for US anti-tank missiles and Turkish drones.
Ukraine increases NATO presence in the country
So far, the West’s deterrent efforts have not yielded any results, Zelenskyi said. Despite negotiations between Moscow and Washington, the number of Russian soldiers and military equipment had not been reduced. Last week, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine. Biden threatened economic sanctions in the event of an attack, while Putin, for his part, is demanding guarantees from NATO regarding Russia’s security.
Because Ukraine recently allowed a higher NATO presence in the country. According to a law passed on Tuesday, up to 4,000 NATO soldiers, including 2,000 Americans, may stay in Ukraine all year round in 2022, as in 2021. For military equipment, however, the permit was increased from 10 aircraft and helicopters to 40. In addition, the stay of up to 20 ships from NATO countries in Ukrainian territorial waters was approved. The aim is tactical exercises and the training of Ukrainian soldiers. In addition, nine maneuvers with foreign participation are planned in Ukraine in the coming year.
The Kremlin boss then called on NATO and the US again for “immediate” negotiations on security guarantees. According to the Kremlin, Putin stressed that an eastward expansion of the military alliance and the stationing of weapon systems in the Ukraine and other neighboring states of Russia must be ruled out.
Baerbock warns Lavrov
Foreign Minister Baerbock underlined the solidarity of Germany and the EU with the country in view of the allegations from Ukraine. “Aggressive action by Russia” against Ukraine would have “massive economic and diplomatic consequences,” said Baerbock during a visit to Stockholm. In a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian foreign minister, however, she also “made it clear that the imperative of de-escalation is now the most important thing, especially for the security of Ukraine”. You are therefore “urgently” promoting a return to negotiations within the framework of the Normandy format, said Baerbock.
In a telephone conversation with her Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, Russia warned her again of an invasion of Ukraine. The “territorial integrity of Ukraine must not be violated,” wrote the Foreign Office on Twitter after the conversation. According to Russian sources, Lavrov called in Baerbock’s phone call to “not expand NATO to the east”.
The Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikow expressed the hope of a change of course in German politics. The attitude of the old federal government was not to provoke Russia, he said during a visit to Stockholm. “I hope that the new federal government will change this position, and that their new position is not only not to provoke Russia, but to support (Ukraine) and defend it,” said the Ukrainian Defense Minister.