Ukraine’s foreign minister criticises Germany over arms supplies
KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s International Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Germany on Tuesday of ignoring Kyiv’s pleas for Leopard tanks and Marder infantry combating autos, saying Berlin provided solely “summary fears and excuses” for not offering such army {hardware}.
His remark got here after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a brand new attraction to the West to hurry up deliveries of weapons programs as Ukrainian forces transfer to consolidate management over a big swathe of northeastern territory recaptured from Russia.
“Disappointing indicators from Germany whereas Ukraine wants Leopards and Marders now — to liberate folks and save them from genocide,” Kuleba tweeted.
“Not a single rational argument on why these weapons can’t be provided, solely summary fears and excuses. What’s Berlin afraid of that Kyiv shouldn’t be?,” he wrote, in unusually blunt language.
Germany has despatched self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine however Zelenskiy and Kuleba say that isn’t enough. Kuleba has usually criticised what he says is Germany’s slowness in sending weapons, suggesting it’s reluctant to antagonise Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One in every of Zelenskiy’s advisers, Mykhailo Podolyak, additionally took a swipe at Germany.
“For six months the allies have been arguing over who will promote tanks to Ukraine. There aren’t any tanks for six months as a result of there isn’t a ‘political answer’. Russia continues its terror, folks die, time is wasted. Germany, we’re ready in your phrase,” he mentioned on Twitter on Tuesday.
In talks with Kuleba in Berlin on the weekend, German International Minister Annalena Baerbock promised additional army help and didn’t rule out the supply of Western-style principal battle tanks, including the “subsequent few weeks and months can be essential” for Ukraine.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk,; Writing by Gareth Jones, modifying by Ed Osmond)
