Germany has announced a shipment of 1,000 anti-tank missiles and 500 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft stinger missiles to Ukraine. Previously, Berlin had only offered non-lethal aid, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained his country had reached a “turning point.”
“It is our duty to do our best to support Ukraine in defending itself against Putin’s invading army,” he said.
Further, Berlin approved an arms transfer of German-made weapons from the Netherlands to Kiev. In another policy reversal, Germany will allow countries to use its airspace to bring weapons to Ukraine. The decisions mark a break with Germany’s post-WWII tradition not to provide weapons to countries at war.
The aid to Ukraine is just part of Berlin’s evolving defense policy. Sholtz separately announced his country would place $113 billion in a special armed forces fund to boost military spending over 2% of GDP (a requirement of the NATO alliance long unmet by Germany).
The European Union announced it would join its member state in donating arms to Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the decision was “a defining moment for European history.” The organization will provide “lethal arms” and “lethal assistance” to the Ukrainian army worth some $502 million, and another $56 million for “non-lethal supplies,” fuel and protective equipment.
Other European nations are also making donations to Ukraine’s weapons stockpile. Belgium will transfer 3,000 machine guns and 200 anti-tank grenade launchers, while the Czech Republic and Slovakia announced arms packages without specifying what would be included. Non-NATO member Finland is offering non-lethal aid, but is considering an arms delivery as well.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden instructed the State Department to release an additional $350 million in weapons to Ukraine. The new shipment comes after officials in the White House debated if supplying additional arms would make America a party to the war. In a recent press conference Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said there were logistical challenges getting weapons to Ukraine.
It remains to be seen how the Kremlin will interpret the West’s ongoing military aid to Kiev. When Putin announced his war in Ukraine, he suggested he could use the nuclear option for countries that opposed the Russian invasion. On Sunday, Russia put its nuclear deterrent on high alert, citing Western sanctions and other hostile policies.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
This is NOT a first. Germany has supplied weapons to Israel while it was at war.
“When Putin announced his war in Ukraine,” so this is an opinion in the antiwar site?
This hateful personal attacking of Pres. Putin, while refusing ever to listen to the Russian point of view when we have all seen the Duma support, even pushing, for actions years after the Putin caution has held back, seems to have taken over the West into madness. Weapons pouring in from Germany surely is an extremely dangerous step, adding to all the other alleged “help” to Ukraine, suddenly the hero of the globe.
I’m noticing an increase in MSM reports on the front page over this war. Some of them are total crap. Where is Ray McGovern, by the way? I wonder how much pressure is being on Antiwar.com to toe the US party line? The EU has now completely removed any “pro-Russia” media. Youtube is cutting off monetization IIRC. Who knows what’s next?
I find it very worrying that the the main two sites with real news from the Russian POV are not up to date (you probably know who they are) and now that the EU has banned RT and sputnik, this really shows the “democratic, free press” motivation of the US∕NATO and it seems, swarms of people who have just decided Ukraine is a hero we know nothing about but must support. Even the mantra of “Russia attacks” never mentions the US-led unrepresentative Zelensky government which Russia is trying to get the people of Ukraine to be able to change if the far-right known leaders are removed.
Go over to the “Putin Nuclear Options” thread for discussion of these farcical German moves, not to mention the ludicrous intention of the EU to send obsolete Soviet Era fighter jets to Ukraine. This is all for show, to pretend that NATO is doing “something” about the war, when in fact it is doing nothing of consequence to Russia and can’t do so.
Germany is being extremely stupid.