Germany on Tuesday announced a $1.1 billion weapons package for Ukraine that Berlin said was to help Kyiv get through the winter.
The package includes a US-made Patriot air defense system, two German-made IRIS-T air defense systems, 10 more German Leopard tanks, and other types of equipment.
“With this new ‘winter package,’ we are further enhancing the readiness of the Ukrainian armed forces in the coming months,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
The provision of such a large arms package demonstrates that NATO is preparing to support the conflict for another year. In Washington, the White House and hawks in Congress are considering authorizing a giant Ukraine aid package to get through the 2024 election.
After initially being reluctant to go all in on the proxy war, Germany has become one of Ukraine’s top NATO backers, second only to the US. According to the German-based Kiel Institute, Berlin has provided Ukraine with about $18 billion in military aid, compared with about $44.5 billion provided by the US.
In the early days of the conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was opposed to providing Ukraine with tanks and warplanes because he was trying to avoid World War III and nuclear war.
Ukraine has since been armed with dozens of German-made Leopard tanks, and Berlin approved the transfer of Soviet-era MiG-29s from Poland to Ukraine that initially came from Germany’s military.
I lived in Germany for close to 10 years. Back then the government had leadership. Now they have a clown show.
I am convinced Scholz only made it with the help of NGOs, in truth, they are GOs and the CIA is also all over the place, France has similar problems.
With a De Gaulle and men like Adenauer, Schmitt, Brandt or Schroeder this would not have happened. Germany and France told Bush/Cheney no, not with us.
So it goes………….
I can’t understand what is motivating Scholz. Does he actually think that there is something to be gained by providing military support to Ukraine? Does he actually believe that Putin wants to reassemble the Soviet Union? Is he π΅π³πΊπͺπ―π¨ to give future elections to another party?
This will not end well for him or his Social Democratic Party.
Scholz is just doing his US State Department/Biden Administration lap dog thing. Like most Western “leaders”, he cares not one whit about his country’s citizens.
Scholz and the ample coalition people sold their nation the same way as the corrupt Zelensky sold the Ukrainian people.
They know, Biden and Netanyahu are set for war against Iran, and Europe will be the next battlefield after Ukraine, why else did Biden send a carrier with 5 000 sailors and groups of support ships to the ME? The sailors are not needed to flatten Gaza but are needed in the Persian Gulf.
The Scholz and the party are toast, the once strong SPD lost heavily Sunday in two big state elections, in Hessen and Bavaria W. Germany the AFD became # 2 bypassing the SPD.
new βwinter package,β
send them some food and winter coats instead of weapons
What a shameful thing to do, it benefits the American MIC, not the people, not in Ukraine and not in Germany. The government consists of paid for criminals. The Israelis are topping the Hitler Nazis, Gaza is bigger than the Warsaw Ghetto was and the Germans support the slaughter of the Palestinian civilians including women and children.
What a shame to repeat the war crimes of the past.
Soon we will not be talking about Germany and what is his name. The Serbs will have a good laugh. Mighty Germany cannot put food on the table and wood on the fire. They are going to loose all that land they bought in Ukraine and have nowhere to spray their poison that generates billions in wealth. No enegery, minerals, grain and nowhere to sell their overpriced cars. China does not want them thanks to what is his name (the leader). Ukraine must be quite a place, Germany has given up everything that matters for it. The Americans may erect a statue commending their loyal vassal. They will build it in the rust belt because that is what Germany has chosen to become.
It took the sabotaging of the Nordtreams to bring Germany in line and make them the No 2 donor.
Industry dieing, social services collapsing, inflation, not good time to keep throwing billions in to an empty pit. Severe desperation.