Europe 1 with AFP 3:27 p.m., August 29, 2022
During a speech in Prague on Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he could "imagine that Germany bears a special responsibility in terms of strengthening Ukraine's artillery and air defense capabilities".
According to the latter, Berlin will continue to support Ukraine "reliably and above all for as long as necessary".
Olaf Scholz said on Monday he wanted Germany to take "particular responsibility" to help Ukraine strengthen its artillery and air defense systems, promising that Berlin would maintain support for kyiv "as long as it takes". .
The idea of the German Chancellor, developed during a speech in Prague, is that the West should establish a "reliable and long-term division of labour" concerning military support for Ukraine.
Germany "will maintain its support"
In this context, Olaf Scholz said he could "imagine that Germany assumes a particular responsibility in terms of strengthening Ukraine's artillery and air defense capabilities".
"Our goal is to have modern Ukrainian armed forces capable of sustainably defending their country," he insisted, calling for more "planning and coordination" between the allies.
The German Chancellor, who is regularly the target of criticism for the supposed timidity of his country's arms deliveries to Ukraine, recently indicated that Berlin would deliver around 500 million euros of new armaments to kyiv, including Iris-T air defense systems.
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"We will maintain this support, reliably and above all, for as long as necessary," said Olaf Scholz, assuring that this also applied to the reconstruction of Ukraine "which will be an effort of several generations".
A conference of experts on the reconstruction of Ukraine, in which the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is to take part in particular, will be held on October 25 in Berlin.