German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock advocated sending weapons to Ukraine, given Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. “If the world is changing, then politics must change,” Minister Baerbock said at the Green party’s Brandenburg state congress in Cottbus. “We support Ukrainians to be able to defend themselves, fight for their own safety and freedom,” said the Green Party Minister.
Emphasizing that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression against international law is not only against Ukraine’s sovereignty and 40 million Ukrainians, Baerbock said that it is also an attack on peace in Europe. Emphasizing that they would not intervene directly in the war, however, the German Minister noted that such a step would put Ukraine’s NATO member neighbors at risk.
“It is important to condemn this war in the strongest terms and to underline who will end this war, this is the President of Russia,” Baerbock said. Stating that they will also support the Ukrainian refugees, Baerbock reminded that they started an air bridge for the Ukrainians. Pointing out that thousands of flights will be carried out, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that they expect between 8 and 10 million refugees and that they will accept all of these people.
On the first flight from Moldova to Germany by airlift, about 130 people, mostly children and women, arrived in Frankfurt yesterday evening.
Fuel support was also provided.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht also said that in addition to weapons, fuel support was provided in Ukraine. Social Democratic Party (SPD) Minister, in a statement to the newspapers affiliated to the German Editorial Network (RND), announced that this fuel was purchased in Poland and transported to Ukraine. Responding to the criticism that arms shipments to Ukraine are progressing slowly, the Minister of Defense emphasized that the shipment continues “consistently”.
“Strela” type anti-aircraft guns in Ukraine
Another part of the weapons sent from Germany to Ukraine reached Ukraine on Friday evening. According to the information received from the Ukrainian government circles, it was reported that the last shipment consisted of 1,500 “Strela” type anti-aircraft missiles, 100 MG3 type machine guns and 8 thousand ammunition and military equipment.
After Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine, Germany decided to send a thousand anti-tank and 500 “Stinger” missiles to Ukraine. At the beginning of March, sources of the Ministry of Economy reported that the shipment of 2,700 “Strela” type anti-aircraft missiles had been approved. It was also revealed that Minister of Defense Lambrecht applied to the Federal Security Council for the shipment of 2,000 anti-tank tanks to Ukraine.
dpa / JD,ET
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