Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany: Germany must ‘wake up’ to crisis in Ukraine before it’s too late

As world powers seek to prevent a full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia, Germany has been accused not only of failing to play a leading role in diplomatic efforts, but also of not actively helping to defend Ukraine from a possible attack.

The United States and the United Kingdom are among the countries that have sent military equipment to Ukraine to help it defend itself in the event of an invasion. Russia denies planning such a move, despite the mobilization of tens of thousands of troops in the region.

Germany has refused to send aid, however, and has reportedly prevented other countries from doing so. This has led to accusations that it has not shown enough solidarity with Ukraine – which is not a member of the EU or NATO but is located geographically within Europe.

Andrij Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, told CNBC on Monday that Germany needed to “wake up” to the dangers facing Ukraine.

“We believe that the world is becoming more and more dangerous and Germany, as the largest European country and the strongest economic power, can not afford to remain neutral and continue to sleep and enjoy a comfortable life,” he said. ambassador.

“Germany must wake up, Germany must stand by its allies and Germany must do much more for security in Europe and at this particular time when a new war may break out in the heart of Europe, Germany has a special role to play “.

The ambassador added that Germany should join the allies in sending defense weapons to Ukraine.

Tensions have risen in recent months as Russia has mobilized about 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine and transferred about 30,000 troops to Belarus for military exercises. Confidence in Russia is low after the annexation of Crimea by Ukraine in 2014 and the support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Soltz is expected to discuss concerns over Berlin’s stance on Ukraine in talks with US President Joe Biden in Washington later today, on his first visit to the United States since becoming chancellor.

Solz has come under increasing criticism for his reluctance to get involved so far and has come under pressure to take a tougher line on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Instead of sending weapons to Kiev, Berlin offered to provide 5,000 protective helmets and a field hospital. This has been met with distrust and ridicule in some parts of Ukraine.

Germany then defended itself by saying it had responded to a request for military equipment, according to Reuters. The Bild newspaper also reported that the German government had received a request from Ukraine, which included the need for 100,000 combat helmets and regular vests.

There have also been reports that Germany has blocked Estonia from sending weapons to Ukraine, and Ukraine’s defense minister has said that Berlin has blocked Ukraine’s efforts to obtain weapons through NATO.

Because Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the military alliance is not obliged to defend it, but given its position – which separates Russia and the EU – any confrontation has the potential to destabilize the entire region.

Speaking to German broadcaster RTL ahead of his meeting with Biden, Solz defended Germany’s history of defense spending and its response to the situation in Ukraine.

“We are very specific in what we do for NATO defense in Europe. In the European Union, in continental Europe, we are the country with the highest defense contribution. No one should overlook this. In recent years, we have massively expanded the capabilities of the Bundeswehr [ένοπλες δυνάμεις της Γερμανίας]. I supported this even when I was Minister of Finance. “And we will continue with this attitude,” Solz said.

His visit to Washington comes amid fears that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned Sunday that “from day to day, Russia could take military action against Ukraine or that this could happen in a few weeks from now or Russia could choose “to follow the diplomatic path instead,” he said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.

Earlier, two US officials said Russia had about 70 percent of the military power it believed would be needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The number of regular battalion groups in the border area has risen to 83 from 60 since Friday and another 14 are in transit, according to Reuters.

Solz also reiterated that Germany would not supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, telling the German broadcaster ARD that “the German government has been following a clear path for a long time: we never supply lethal weapons in crisis areas and we do not supply them to Ukraine.” .

“My predecessor (Chancellor Angela Merkel) was committed to this path and was and will be right,” he said, adding that opinion polls show that most Germans share the government’s position on the issue.

“My duty is to do what is in the interest of the German people and what in this case is the view of our citizens,” he said.

Nord Stream 2

Germany has also been criticized for continuing to support Nord Stream 2, a giant gas pipeline that will carry Russian gas directly to Germany, bypassing a pre-existing route through Ukraine.

German regulators have not yet approved the opening of the already multibillion-dollar pipeline, which Solz has described as a “private sector project” rather than a political one. However, there have been calls for the pipeline to be abandoned, with the US in particular saying it is endangering Europe’s energy security.