Berlin considering Kyiv’s request for weapons

"There is a letter with a list in which the Government of Ukraine requests weapons and equipment. It is currently being checked. We have to wait for the results," Christiane Hoffmann, the First Deputy Spokesperson of the German Federal Government, said at a briefing on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

She is "unaware" of further inquiries immediately before the visit of Chancellor Scholz to Kyiv.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz also confirmed that the Bundeswehr had received a letter from the Ukrainian side last week regarding assistance, "which is definitely being considered." He said that Federal Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht would have another conversation with her Ukrainian counterpart today in the afternoon, during which the ministers will discuss both the general security situation and "whether the request can be granted or not."

Ahead of the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kyiv, Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Andrij Melnyk said a comment to BILD that the situation was dramatic and called on the German side to "immediately provide 12,000 anti-tank missiles" so that Ukraine could "repel Russia’s possible ground attack on Ukraine."

As reported, the list provided by the Ukrainian side consists of a number of types of defensive weapons, including electronic surveillance systems, demining equipment, digital radio stations, radar stations, night vision devices, and more. However, anti-tank missiles are not on this list.

Recently, there has been a debate in Germany about changing the government's stance on non-supply of weapons to Ukraine. While the possibility of supply has been ruled out in the past, government officials have recently said it is being considered.

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