For weeks, Chancellor Scholz was accused of hesitating and procrastinating on arms deliveries to Ukraine. Now Ukraine is to receive more heavy weapons.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has promised Ukraine the delivery of a modern air defense system to fight Russian attackers.

In addition, the Ukrainian armed forces will be provided with a modern tracking radar that can spot artillery, Scholz said on Wednesday in the Bundestag. He also announced that Germany would support the United States’ announced delivery of multiple rocket launchers to Ukraine “according to our technical capabilities.”

According to Scholz, the air defense system is the Iris-T from the manufacturer Diehl. This will deliver the most modern air defense system that Germany has. “We’re putting Ukraine in a position to protect an entire city from Russian air raids,” said Scholz. Ukraine has long requested the delivery of anti-aircraft systems to protect itself against attacks by Russian fighter jets, helicopters, missiles or drones.

Already two commitments from the federal government

Immediately after the start of the war, the federal government decided to supply German weapons for the first time in an ongoing war against a nuclear power. So far, among other things, bazookas, anti-aircraft missiles and many millions of rounds of ammunition have been delivered.

In the past few weeks, the federal government had already made two commitments for the delivery of heavy weapons: 50 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and 7 self-propelled howitzers 2000 – modern artillery pieces with a range of 40 kilometers – are to be delivered to the Ukraine. But they haven’t gotten there yet. The opposition has repeatedly accused Scholz of hesitation in recent weeks.