“Germany’s USD 3 Billion Military Aid Package to Ukraine Includes Tanks and Anti-Aircraft Systems”

BERLIN – German will give Ukraine additional military assistance worth more than USD 3 billion (Rp 44 trillion), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition. This is the latest aid package provided by Germany to Ukraine.

The new military aid package, first reported by the German weekly Der Spiegel, includes 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armored personnel carriers, more than 100 combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled howitzers, 200 reconnaissance drones, four IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft guns. – aircraft systems and other air defense equipment.

The announcement came on the eve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s first visit to Germany since Russia invaded his country last year.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin wanted to show, with its latest arms package “that Germany is serious about supporting” Ukraine. “Germany will provide all the assistance they can, as long as it is needed,” Pistorius said, as quoted by AP, Saturday (13/5/2023).

Kiev has long been suspicious of Germany’s dependence on Russian energy and support for the Nord Stream gas pipeline that eludes Ukraine, which Chancellor Angela Merkel defended at the time.

His successor, Olaf Scholz, agreed to stop importing Russian energy after the invasion, but was initially hesitant to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons, fearing that Germany could be drawn into the conflict.

With Washington, Warsaw, and London more openly supporting Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself, Berlin was met with a diplomatic cold snap from Kyiv.