Chancellor Olaf Soltz and the Ukrainian leadership are discussing defense aid and financial support in Kiev today. Berlin does not overlook relations with Russia.
Ukraine submits new requests for equipment purchase from Germany. According to Spiegel Online, among others, the Ukrainians have requested 12,000 anti-tank missiles in order to protect themselves from Russian armor. The German government remains on the “red line”: It does not sell “offensive” weapons to those involved in the crisis, as it has taken on the role of mediator, but also for historical reasons related to the atrocities of the Nazis in the former Soviet Union. It is noteworthy that Berlin has not even approved Estonia’s request for the transfer of old artillery shells from the warehouses of the former East German army.
The Ukrainians are also calling for modern radar, mine detectors, protective uniforms and more. According to DW, Chancellor Olaf Soltz will not make any specific commitments in this direction during his visit to Kiev. However, Christian Democrats (CDU) spokesman Jürgen Hardt today called on Solz to reconsider, noting that in the past the German government had made an exception in exceptional circumstances, sending weapons to “militant” northern Iraq.
Financial cooperation, but with everyone
At the same time, Ukraine is appealing to Berlin for financial assistance. Since 2014, when the crisis in Crimea broke out, Germany has been the country that has provided the most bilateral assistance to Kiev and this will continue. “Ukraine should know that we will continue to show our solidarity, as has happened to date,” said Chancellor Soltz shortly before leaving for Kiev. For Ukraine, the provision of financial assistance is considered particularly important at a time when the national currency is under pressure in international markets.
At the same time, however, German industry wants to avoid further tension in relations with Moscow. Despite the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, the established annual meeting of top German companies with Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place again this year, with the participation of 20 top managers active in the Russian market. The scheduled date is March 20. Due to a pandemic, the meeting does not take place in Moscow or Sochi, as usual, but by teleconference. Officials say the date has been set in consultation with the German government.
Giannis Papadimitriou (DW, Spiegel Online, DPA)
Source: Deutsche Welle
Source: Capital
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