“I urge all allies, including Germany, to send to Ukraine everything it needs to defend itself,” the prime minister told the German news agency. “If all allies had sent weapons in January or February, many lives would have been saved.”
Unlike Germany, Estonia, one of the smallest EU countries, had already supplied arms to Ukraine before Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began on February 23. According to statistics from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the Baltic country bordering Russia has supported Ukraine more than any other country in the world in terms of gross domestic product. When it comes to arms shipments, it is statistically ahead of much larger and financially stronger European countries like Italy or Spain, even in absolute numbers.
When asked if Germany should also send Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, Kallas said: “It’s up to each country to say what it can and cannot deliver.” She therefore does not want to criticize the earlier German refusal to supply main battle tanks.
However, she also stressed that arms shipments are not just about Ukraine. “It’s not just about the sovereignty and freedom of one country in Europe, it’s also about the security of the whole of Europe,” she said. A country must be able to defend itself if it is attacked.
Ukraine has long demanded that Germany provide the main battle tanks of Leopard 2. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to provide the tanks on his own. However, the US has already given permission. According to information from the Ukrainian side, talks are underway with the federal government regarding the supply of Leopard 2 tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
(SDA)