Germany to hand over four more IRIS-Ts to Ukraine by end of this year
Germany plans to supply Ukraine with four more IRIS-T air defence systems by the end of the year.
Source: European Pravda with reference to dpa, which quotes Wolfgang Büchner, Deputy Spokesperson for the German government
Quote from Büchner: "Germany remains absolutely committed [to Ukraine], and the chancellor [Olaf Scholz] gives his word that support for Ukraine will continue as long as necessary, and no one, especially the Russian president [Vladimir Putin], can hope that we will weaken our commitment."
Details: He said that Ukraine will also receive 10 Gepard anti-aircraft guns, 16 self-propelled howitzers, 10 Leopard battle tanks, combat drones and several thousand rounds of ammunition for artillery and tanks.
Background:
- On 17 August, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported that the current budget planning by the German federal government does not include provisions for further funding to support Ukraine, and no further applications from Germany's Federal Defence Ministry for military assistance to Ukraine will be approved, at Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s request.
- At the same time, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated that these reports were incorrect and manipulative.
- German politicians from both the opposition party Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and from the coalition, specifically, from the party of Olaf Scholz, criticised this approach to further funding of the aid for Ukraine, explaining that it may pose a threat for the security of Germany.
- The German government denied its intentions to decrease military aid for Ukraine. The government spokesperson stated that the German government expected that next year the international partners of Ukraine would provide it with a loan for the total amount of €50 billion, which will be paid back with profits from frozen Russian assets.
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