Ukraine 'disappointed' with Germany's non-supply of lethal weapons
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Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign announces that Germany's Ambassador to Kiev will be summoned after German officials' statement over Ukraine.
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Ukraine's FM expressed "disappointment" at Germany's position of not providing Kyiv with weapons.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned Saturday the German Ambassador to Kyiv, Anka Feldguzen, to express "disappointment" over Berlin's stance on the Ukrainian crisis.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Germany's recent statements about the impossibility of transferring defense weapons to Ukraine, the futility of returning Crimea, and doubts about disconnecting Russia from SWIFT, do not correspond to the level of the bilateral relations.
Нещодавні заяви Німеччини щодо неможливості передачі Україні оборонної зброї, зокрема через надання дозволу на це третім сторонам, безперспективності повернення Криму, вагання щодо відключення РФ від SWIFT — не відповідають рівню наших відносин і поточній безпековій ситуації 1/3
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) January 22, 2022
"We pointed out the categorical unacceptability of the statements of the head of the German navy, Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach, in particular, that the Crimea will never return to Ukraine and that our state cannot meet the criteria for membership in NATO," the ministry expressed in a statement.
"We also expressed deep disappointment at the position of the German government on the failure to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine," the statement read.
The Ukrainian ministry hoped that Germany will show a more proactive position in supporting Ukraine and strengthening the defense capability of the country in the face of what it called "a threat of a large-scale Russian invasion."
What did the Germans say?
German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has confirmed that Berlin will send a field hospital to Ukraine, while once again rejecting Kiev's calls for weapons.
Berlin has already delivered respirators to Ukraine and is treating injured Ukrainian soldiers in Bundeswehr hospitals, she told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
"Weapons deliveries would not be helpful at the moment -- that is the consensus within the government," Lambrecht said.
Separately on Saturday, Germany's Defense Ministry confirmed that Naval Chief Kay-Achim Schoenbach will be asked to explain comments in which he called Russian plans to invade Ukraine "inept".
In a video that was recorded at a think-tank gathering in New Delhi on Friday, Schoenbach said Russian President Vladimir Putin "is to be respected."
This comes as the US Embassy in Kyiv announced Friday that the US has delivered 90,7 tonnes of lethal aid to Ukraine in a new "military assistance initiative" overseen by US President Joe Biden.
