Germany will send Ukraine a new package of essentially military aid worth 400 million euros, but has not yet decided on the delivery of Taurus long-range missiles requested by Kiev, the defense minister said on Monday.
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This new tranche of aid includes, in particular, various types of ammunition because it is “what Ukraine needs most,” Minister Boris Pistorius told Bild newspaper on the eve of a meeting of Ukraine’s allies. Ukraine in Germany.
“The government has not yet decided whether it will send Taurus cruise missiles,” the minister added.
Ukrainian officials have been calling on Germany for several months to deliver Taurus cruise missiles, deemed necessary to fend off the Russian army, amid a counteroffensive by Kiev troops.
“We are providing additional ammunition: explosive ammunition, mortar ammunition, anti-mine rockets,” Boris Pistorius told the Bild daily newspaper.
This new support section will also include armored vehicles and demining systems, as well as generators to prepare for winter, the minister added.
With regard to the Taurus missiles, Boris Pistorius emphasized that “it is the duty of the entire federal government to carefully weigh every arms delivery.” To do this, a large number of political, legal, military and technical aspects must be clarified.”
It was “not easy,” he added. The minister said that one of the open questions was whether this type of weapon could be used without the support of Bundeswehr soldiers.
Berlin has not yet complied with Kiev’s request, partly out of fear that the missiles would reach Russian territory and worsen the conflict.
During the German Foreign Minister’s visit to Kiev a week ago, her counterpart Dmytro Kouleba was annoyed by Germany’s hesitation: “It’s just a matter of time. And I don’t understand why we’re wasting time,” he explained, believing that Germany would eventually give the green light.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also under political pressure in Germany, including in his coalition, to agree to the delivery of these missiles.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Germany has made an important contribution to supporting Kiev, providing Ukraine with around 22 billion euros in humanitarian, financial and military aid.
The country is hosting an international meeting under the auspices of the United States on Tuesday at the American military base in Ramstein (south) to coordinate military assistance from Ukraine’s allies
The German minister will not be able to go there in person, Bild said on Monday, because he is positive for Covid-19.