Kiev Wants Warships, Air Defense Systems From Berlin Amid Tensions With Russia -Ambassador

Ukraine wants Germany to supply Kiev with warships and modern air defense systems to protect the country's coastline amid the alleged threat of a military escalation with Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrij Melnyk said on Wednesday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) Ukraine wants Germany to supply Kiev with warships and modern air defense systems to protect the country's coastline amid the alleged threat of a military escalation with Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrij Melnyk said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin did not supply Ukraine with lethal weapons and this political line would remain unchanged. According to Scholz, Berlin favors diplomatic resolution of the Ukrainian crisis through negotiations.

"First of all, we are talking about German warships, some of the best in the world, which are urgently needed to protect the long coastline of the Black and Azov Seas... There is also a great need for the most modern air defense systems that German defense companies produce," the diplomat told German news agency DPA.

Melnyk also claimed that Berlin seems to lack the political will, which is "regrettable" amid the alleged danger of war in Europe.

The ambassador said that the German government should follow the example of the United Kingdom, which decided to supply Kiev with anti-tank weapons.

On Tuesday, British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace said that the UK would supply Ukraine with light anti-tank defensive weapons for "self-defense".

�Ukraine and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in "aggressive actions" by Russia on the border with Ukraine. Moscow says that it moves troops within its own territory and at its own discretion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reiterated that Russia does not have any plans to invade its neighbor.

Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern about the transfer of NATO's military equipment to Russian borders and the increase in the number of Western instructors in Donbas as Western countries continue to provide military support to Ukraine and supply it with weapons.