Germany blocking arms supply to Kiev: Borrell

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jan 2023 18:42

The top EU diplomat said that Germany has been resisting pressure to send arms to Kiev out of fear it would trigger another escalation.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attends a news conference after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium, February 28, 2022 (REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo)

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Spanish newspaper elDiario on Sunday that Germany has been impeding the EU's initiative to supply armored fighting vehicles and heavy weapons to Kiev.

"I personally think that in the current state of war, Ukraine needs tanks supply so that it would be able not only to contain but also to repel [the Russian strikes]. This political decision has not yet been made, mainly because of Germany's unwillingness. But if this does not happen, the war will drag down until next spring, when Russia will probably try to begin a new offensive," Borrell said.

Borrell added that the decision to deliver Kiev with heavy weapons would pose a serious risk as it will inevitably cause an escalation. It is for this reason that the bloc did not send Kiev fighter aircraft. Yet, Borrell believes that EU members must nonetheless take the risk.

The bloc has already provided Kiev with aid packages worth 50 billion euros ($54.4 billion), he said, adding that EU's military funding to Kiev alone stood at 3.5 billion euros from the European fund and 7.5 billion euros from the state contributions.

Yet, the top diplomat noted that the EU and the collective West has invested much more effort into arming Kiev rather than encouraging dialogue. But according to him, this is owed to Russia's alleged rejection of holding peace talks.

Earlier today, the Polish Prime Minister slammed Berlin's "attitude" on sending its Leopard 2 main battle tank to Ukraine as "unacceptable".

"Germany's attitude is unacceptable. It has been almost a year since the war began. Innocent people are dying every day," PM Mateusz Morawiecki told PAP news agency according to AFP.

"Russian bombs are wreaking havoc in Ukrainian cities. Civilian targets are being attacked, and women and children are being murdered," he added.

If Germany refuses to send its tanks to Kiev, "we will set up a 'small coalition' of countries ready to donate some of their modern equipment, their modern tanks," Morawiecki warned.

We are waiting for "a clear statement" from Germany whether countries that own Leopard tanks can send them to Ukraine.