In a phone call with Scholz and Macron, Putin again threatened the delivery of heavy weapons. However, the Chancellor is now unimpressed by this – and wants to deliver more weapons.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has shown himself unperturbed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warnings about further arms deliveries from the West to Ukraine.
You shouldn’t be afraid, said the SPD politician in an interview with the ARD “Tagesthemen”. “And that’s why we will continue with what we started.” In addition to further arms deliveries to Ukraine, this also included better equipment for the Bundeswehr via the planned 100 billion program. Germany will “support Ukraine for as long as it is necessary,” emphasized Scholz.
In a phone call with Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend, Putin warned against the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, this carries the risk of further destabilizing the situation and worsening the humanitarian crisis.
The federal government has so far committed to the delivery of two types of heavy weapons: 50 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and seven Panzerhaubitz 2000. The latter are heavy artillery pieces. However, Ukraine is also demanding battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers or anti-ship missiles.
