The German government has put together another arms package to provide military support to Ukraine. According to the Defense Ministry, Ukraine is to receive additional weapons worth around €2.7 billion from Germany in the coming weeks and months.
“With this valuable contribution of urgently needed military material, we are once again showing that Germany is serious about its support,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, according to a statement this week. “We all wish for an early end to this terrible war by Russia against the Ukrainian people, which is contrary to international law.” Unfortunately, this is not yet foreseeable, Pistorius said, from there Germany will provide all the help it can “as long as it takes"—in German: “So lange, wie es nötig ist.”
The list includes another 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard-1 A5 tanks, 18 wheeled howitzers, 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, 200 reconnaissance drones, four additional IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems along with ammunition, more artillery ammunition and more than 100 armored combat and logistics vehicles. According to the statement, it is the largest weapons package to date that Germany has provided to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces since the war began in February 2022.
According to a report in Der Spiegel, the package is to be announced as a symbol of German solidarity with Ukraine in parallel with the awarding of the Charlemagne Prize of Aachen to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 14. Media report that Zelenskyy will come to Germany himself for the award ceremony.
With the new arms delivery, the German government is again focusing on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. The German government plans to deliver four more IRIS-T-SLM air defense systems as well as twelve IRIS-T-SLS launchers along with hundreds of guided missiles for the system.
