kyiv will soon receive heavy weapons from Eastern European countries, according to Germany

Europe 1 with AFP 4:36 p.m., April 21, 2022

Ukraine will receive "in the coming days" heavy weapons, including battle tanks, from Eastern European countries to help it counter the Russian offensive, the German Defense Minister said on Thursday.

"These are combat tanks, armored vehicles, or other possibilities (of equipment) that countries can cede" to Ukraine, explained Christine Lambrecht during an interview with the continuous news channel. n-tv.

Germany involved in Procurement

This material will be delivered "in the next few days" as military experts say "the next two weeks will be decisive" in the war in Ukraine, she said.

Germany will be involved in these supplies because it undertakes to compensate for the materials that other countries will provide to kyiv.

An exchange is thus underway with Slovenia, German government sources told AFP, confirming information from German media.

According to these funds, the country of the former Yugoslavia will send a large number of its Soviet T-72 assault tanks to kyiv and should obtain in return German tanks of the "Marder" type and armored personnel carriers " Fuchs".

Several NATO countries have already given the green light to deliveries of heavy weapons, such as the United States, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Under fire for his reluctance to do the same, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Tuesday a commitment to help Eastern European allies supplying Soviet-made weapons to kyiv, also used by the Ukrainian army, by replacing the material they will provide.

“We cannot deliver the weapons ourselves”

“Each country decides what it can give, and we guarantee that we will support them to replenish (their stocks) so that the countries of Eastern Europe can ensure the defense of their own territory”, detailed the minister. social democrat, without specifying the time that the replacement of the material would take.

Germany, which has already delivered defensive weapons, assures that it is not in a position to draw more on the reserves of the Bundeswehr, failing which it could no longer ensure either its commitments to NATO or the defense of its own territory.

The minister also called for the rapid implementation of the exceptional fund of 100 billion euros decided by the government to modernize the army, but still subject to the vote of the Bundestag.

Ms Lambrecht also confirmed that Germany would train Ukrainian soldiers to use Panzerhaubitze 2000 armored howitzers.

"We cannot deliver the weapons ourselves, the Bundeswehr does not have the means", she underlined, "but where we can help, or train, we will do it".

According to German media, these armored vehicles will be supplied by the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently announced on Twitter the dispatch of such devices, without specifying their type.