Kyiv praises Berlin for arms deliveries

A soldier prepares a tank with a mounted howitzer („Panzerhaubitze 2000“) of the German armed forces Bundeswehr in a shed on the site of the Hindenburg barracks in Munster on February 14, 2022. (Photo by Gregor Fischer / AFP)

BERLIN — Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba praised Germany on Sunday for setting a “precedent” and overcoming a “psychological barrier” by delivering heavy weapons to Kyiv.

“A precedent has been set. The first psychological barrier (on handing weapons to Ukraine) has been overcome,” Kuleba said in a video on Facebook while on a visit to Berlin.

After previously limiting deliveries to defensive weapons, Berlin is ramping up shipments of heavy arms to Ukraine, sending German self-propelled howitzers to Kyiv.

Kuleba said Germany had hosted training for Ukrainian soldiers on how to use the artillery.

“This is an extremely important moment for our relations, because it will be the first heavy weapons that Germany will hand over to Ukraine soon,” he said.

Germany said it would send seven Panzerhaubitze 2000s (armored howitzer 2000) to Ukraine last week, which Kuleba said would be used to “smash the enemy.”

He had discussed what other weapons could be given to Kyiv, but “the final decision is still up to the Germans,” Kuleba said.

Kuleba also discussed more weapon deliveries to Ukraine with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the German capital.

“More weapons and other aid is on the way to Ukraine,” he said on Twitter, posting a photograph of his meeting with the US official.

Ukraine’s top diplomat also said Germany had made a “political decision” to end its energy reliance on Moscow.

“My impression is that the fundamental political decision that Germany’s dependence on Russian gas is a huge problem and that this dependence must end, such a decision has been made,” he said.

Germany is “one of the leading countries really pushing for an oil embargo” on Russia, despite recently believing this was “impossible,” he said.

/MUF