Ukraine will 'increase demands' for weapons says Martin
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French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have been called on to step up and send more lethal aid to Ukraine following a brutal barrage of damaging Russian missile strikes which rained down on multiple cities on Monday. Explosions rocked several Ukrainian cities as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response to what he called a “terror attack” on the bridge linking Crimea to Russia. In the Ukrainian capital – Kiev – citizens were left stunned by a missile that landed in one of the city’s busiest intersections. The strikes on the capital mark a significant escalation in the conflicted and have prompted Western officials to call for an immediate response.
German MEP Manfred Weber tweeted: “War criminal Putin launches random rockets at Ukrainian civilians. He does not want to win the war, he wants to destroy the Ukrainian people. If ever Germany and France needed to lead, it is on heavy weapons deliveries now. Only deterrence will work to stop Putin.”
So far, Germany has given 3,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, including the Panzerfaust 3 with 900 firing devices. It has also sent over 2,700 Man Portable Air Defense Systems known as the STRELA, 280 vehicles, 10 anti-drone guns and 500 Man Portable Air Defense Systems known as the STINGER, among many other weapons too.
Despite this, Ukraine has previously expressed outrage at Berlin for failing to deliver heavy weaponry such as Leopard tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba tweeted last month: “Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide.”
Mr Kuleba added that there was “not a single rational argument on why these weapons can not be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses”.
Critics have also taken aim at Paris for providing a “meagre” supply of weapons to Ukraine as Putin continues to unleash hell on the nation. But earlier this month, Macron pledged to send 12 more high-tech artillery weapons after earlier sending 18 of the highly effective long-range guns.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy had requested 15 more, but French generals are reportedly refusing to transfer more heavy weapons amid fears that it would leave their own forces depleted.
According to figures from the start of the month, France had only given €233million (£205million) in military aid to Ukraine, compared to Britain’s €4billion (£3.5billion) and the US’ €25billion (£22billion).
François Heisbourg of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Le Monde: “There is a gap between the ambitions displayed by France and the effort it provides to help Ukraine.
“Today, Paris has no weight in the conflict, nobody talks about French armaments apart from the Caesars. France’s support for Ukraine is far from what one would expect from such a large country.”
Ukraine is largely reliant on Western weapons systems to combat Russian forces. It has received more than 230 Warsaw Pact-designed tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic, but has made repeated calls FOR better air defence systems.
Now, it appears that Berlin has responded to the pleas from Ukraine and will deliver the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defence systems to Ukraine within days, according to its defence ministry.
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday: “The renewed missile fire on Kyiv and the many other cities show how important it is to supply Ukraine with air defence systems quickly. Russia’s attacks with missiles and drones terrorize the civilian population in particular. That is why we are now providing support especially with air defence weapons.”
This may bring a sigh of relief to Mr Zelenksy, who had previsouly said that “deliveries from Germany are still less than they could be” amid delays to the deployment of the Iris-T weapons system to Ukraine.
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously said that it could take months before this heavy weapons system arrives in Ukraine, but the “horrific” strikes which rained down on several Ukrainian cities on Monday has appeared to spark a greater sense of urgency for Berlin.
As well as hitting the capital, missiles also rocked the cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east.
Ukrainian officials have warned that at least 11 people were killed, with many people injured and large sections of the country left without power. Putin said he had ordered “massive” long-range strikes as a direct response to the explosion on the Crimean bridge. He said: “To leave such acts without a response is simply impossible.”
Evgeny Popov has claimed that the strikes are not aimed at civilians and are intended for energy infrastructure. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “Our military is not attacking, is not shelling cities and civilian infrastructure. All our missiles were targeted [at] energy infrastructure, communication centres and military headquarters.”
Ukrainian officials said at least 11 people were killed and scores injured, with swathes of the country left without power.
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