Germany for the first time announced direct deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine. The Bundeswehr will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles to the Ukrainian army. This was announced on Saturday, February 26, by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
“The Russian attack marks a turning point. Our commitment is to support Ukraine to the best of our ability in defending against Putin’s invading army,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on Twitter justifying the decision.
President Zelensky expresses delight
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expressed delight over the announced delivery of German weapons. “Germany has just announced the delivery of anti-tank grenade launchers and Stinger missiles to Ukraine. Keep up the good work, Chancellor Olaf Scholz! The anti-war coalition is in action!” Zelenskiy tweeted on Saturday evening.
This is a fundamental change in the course of Germany in the context of the crisis around Ukraine. So far, the German government has refused to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, as it is a crisis region. But Berlin changed its stance after Russia invaded Ukraine, with Kyiv repeatedly calling for such supplies in recent months. First, the German authorities approved the decision to supply weapons to Ukraine through third countries, but now they have decided to do it directly.
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