Germany declares it is not an ally of Ukraine.
(Baonghean.vn) - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Germany is doing its utmost to provide Ukraine with the necessary military support. However, he reiterated that Berlin and Kyiv are not part of the same coalition.
In an interview with German television station ZDF, Pistorius dismissed speculation that Germany was "weighing its options" when it came to aid to Ukraine in order to avoid defeat at the hands of Moscow, but also to prevent Kyiv from achieving major victories.
Minister Pistorius emphasized: “We provide what we can. The same applies to most other allies and partners. Germany is not an ally of Ukraine and therefore does not belong to the same coalition.”
Mr. Pistorius reiterated that Germany is the second-largest provider of aid to Ukraine, after the United States. However, he acknowledged that the industrial base in Germany and the West is struggling to meet the high demand for military supplies. He said, "We are currently facing the problem that in certain areas, the arms industry cannot supply quickly enough to keep up with demand."
The head of Germany's defense ministry said that while arms manufacturers are making every effort to increase production, Russia is doing the same despite unprecedented economic sanctions from the West.
He also reiterated his criticism of the EU's ambitious goal, first announced in March of this year, to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells by spring 2024, noting that the goal set unrealistic and unattainable expectations.
As of last November, the EU had only delivered one-third of the planned amount. Last month, several Western media outlets reported that the German government had agreed to double its military aid to Ukraine from 4 billion euros to 8 billion euros (4.3 billion to 8.6 billion USD) by 2024. Russia has repeatedly warned the West against sending weapons to Kyiv, arguing that such a move would only prolong the conflict and draw the West into direct involvement in the fighting.
