Western partners are also helping Ukraine to fight unprovoked Russian aggression and protect the civilized world from further encroachments by the aggressor country. One of them is Germany, relations with which are not easy.
Moreover, as the President of Ukraine stressed, they are undulating. Therefore, Ukraine is forced to constantly convince Berlin of the need for military assistance.
Relations between Kyiv and Berlin are undulating
According to Zelensky, at first it was very difficult for him because of this nature of interaction.
Our relations with Germany are, so to speak, undulating, they go up and down. At first it was very difficult for me, temperaments are completely different. By nature, I am a fast person. Others work more slowly, which may also be due to their bureaucracy, he said.
Therefore, the President of Ukraine has to put pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This is necessary to receive military assistance.
“I said to the chancellor: “Olaf, listen, we don't have enough missiles. I know that you yourself have nothing else, we have an intelligence service. I know that you give us everything you have.” And I don't know how, but he really managed to produce them faster,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview.
Communication has positive results
Despite this, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, according to Zelensky, the relationship and understanding of Berlin and Kyiv has changed a lot. Thanks to this, the Ukrainian military was able to get the Iris-T air defense systems, which saved more than one life.
However, subsequently Ukraine had to make new efforts to get German-made Leopard tanks.
Now we are back in a difficult phase with this debate about German tanks, it is emotional and complex. I have to put pressure on assistance to Ukraine and constantly convince him that this assistance is needed not by us, but by the Europeans. Zelensky shared.
Military assistance from Germany: latest news
- On February 8, Germany announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. It will include Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, cars and several dozen generators. The list also contains various weapons, including lethal ones.
- Also, Germany will transfer to Ukraine not only Leopard 2, but also Leopard 1 tanks. this year.
- Moreover, the German defense concern Rheinmetall is now negotiating with Ukraine on the possibility of supplying ultra-modern German KF51 Panther tanks. Also, the company does not exclude the possibility of creating a plant for their production in Ukraine itself.
- It is interesting that, according to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexei Reznikov, the “first” Leopard 2 is already in Kyiv. He was brought to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. And soon Ukraine will receive the first battalion of these tanks.
