Germany promises Ukraine military aid worth €500M

The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius promised Ukraine a new package of military aid worth 500 million euros ($540 million), a spokesperson for the ministry told AFP.

The package comes as Kyiv battles a widescale offensive in northeastern Ukraine, and after Ukrainian forces warned earlier this year they were desperately low on supplies.

Boris Pistorius announced the aid during an unannounced visit to Odesa in southern Ukraine, where he met with his counterpart Rustem Umerov, the spokesperson added.

The package includes artillery, air defense (and) drones, he added.

Reports in German media suggest that Pistorius has authorised a large number of medium-range missiles, drones for reconnaissance and combat in the Black Sea, as well as spare parts.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has become the second largest supplier of military aid to Kyiv behind the United States.

Berlin has supplied a wide range of weaponry from artillery to armored fighting vehicles.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met with criticism in recent months, however, for refusing to authorise the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, with Germany saying it fears the missiles could be used to hit targets inside Russia.

Debate has escalated over whether to let Kyiv use arms sent by Western backers to strike inside Russia.

Ukraine has been pressing its supporters, led by the United States, to allow it to use the longer-range weaponry they supply to hit targets on Russian soil.

But the United States and Germany have long opposed allowing Kyiv to strike over the border, out of fear it could drag them closer to direct conflict with Moscow.





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